Her red Rose
by Sweety Chou
Summary: "Because I have to do something." She always replied to the question "Why are you here?" Straight A in every subject at Alfea, Flora does not wish to tell them the real reason of her presence in this school: his death.
1. Chapter 1

**I don't own Winx Club and its characters.**

 **Chapter 1**

September 2th. It was the day when all boys and girls were going to head back to school.

Mrs Faragonda was sitting on the chair of her desk, trying to remember the speech she had to say when all her student would be at the cafeteria. It was a usual one, only to welcome all the girls in a more gentle way than Griselda did a few moments ago, when she threatened them with exclusion if their results were too bad.

She had been headmistress of this school for almost 30 years, and each year, her students never disappointed her. They all had good results; they almost all won their final transformation Enchantix, and always managed to listen in classes of Mr Palladium. She knew it was thanks to them that Alfea was the most famous school in the whole Magic Dimension. And she was also aware that it was thanks to them that each year, more and more students ready to become fairies came at Alfea.

Someone knocked at the door, half breaking her thoughts. Without looking up from her sheet, Faragonda mumbled a simple "Come in!"

A young girl entered the room, dragging her suitcase behind her. "I'm sorry, Mrs Faragonda. Am I disturbing?"

"No, not at all. What is your problem, my dear?" Faragonda eventually looked up, as a sign of respect, as she always did. Then, she remembered who this girl was. Her tanned skin, her emerald eyes, her brown caramel hair, her soft and calm voice, everything came back on her mind.

"Flora! I wasn't expecting you." She stood up, walking towards her. She was looking down at her with an understanding and calming look, just as a mother would do when she would see her daughter sad. "How are you, darling?"

The brunette looked away while sighing, her soft smile remaining on her face. "As usual. I'm not bad, I'm not good." Her hands were shaking a little; and she was trying to hide her uneasiness by playing with a ring on her third finger behind her back. "I'm just okay."

Faragonda knew she was lying, but she couldn't blame that. She knew how much she had gone through lately. "I'm sure, one day, everything will get better."

"I hope so." Flora looked up at the headmistress. "I arrived late. I missed Magix's last bus yesterday, so I also missed Mrs Griselda's speech, and I didn't dare going to her office to apologize."

"I understand, darling." Faragonda smiled. "I'll explain to her, don't worry."

"Thank you. It's very kind."

"It's okay." Faragonda grabbed her shoulders on her hands. "I'm sorry darling, but you will share your room with other girls. I didn't find any other solution."

"It's okay." Flora couldn't help feeling a little bit nervous about meeting other people, but she couldn't blame Mrs Faragonda. She respected her too much for that.

"Don't worry, I've chosen the best students of the school. They are very nice and welcoming."

"I'm sure of it." Flora smiled. "I'd better go and find my room to unpack my things."

"Your room is at the third floor, at the middle of the corridor. Your name will be written on the door."

"Thank you, madam. For everything you've done for me." Flora answered softly; but, this time, she didn't look at the headmistress on the eyes, instead staring at the floor. "I wish I could pay you back."

"Don't worry, my dear. I understand how you are feeling right now."

Flora nodded before going out of the room, leaving Faragonda alone again.

 _Poor girl._ She thought before sitting back on her desk, trying to remember her speech.

* * *

"I hope Griselda will never make such annoying speeches like the one she just did!" Stella groaned as she and the other girls were going towards their dormitory. "I can't believe she has done the same for 3 years!"

"Stop complaining, Stella." Musa sighed heavily. "It's over now."

"Plus, we have to put our things away." Tecna added while taping a text message on her phone. "And it won't be easy if you don't stop."

Stella sighed, before looking at Tecna's phone. "Are you texting Timmy?"

"It's none of your business, Stella." Bloom defended her short-haired friend. "Do we come into your and Brandon's relationship?"

Stella pouted, making Layla giggle behind her. As they arrived towards their rooms, Musa noticed something written on the sheet hung on the door.

"It looks like we will have another girl with us, this year. And she will share her room with Layla."

Opening the door, each girl walked towards their room they always had for 3 years: Tecna was with Musa, Stella with Bloom, and Layla, alone. But she wasn't going to remain alone for too long.

Layla sighed loudly. She wasn't antisocial, but she always preferred staying alone on her room, practicing or even listening music. She didn't want to be in the same room with a "girly-girly", always speaking of her boyfriend or with too much make up on her face.

"Maybe she will be a new member of the Winx Club! After all, we met on this dormitory!" Stella exclaimed from her room; Layla quickly understood they were talking about this "Flora" who was going to arrive. Stella, in contrast, was really excited about the idea of a new friend. It was true that Layla and Stella had always been opposites; Layla being calm and liking being alone, Stella being always enthusiast and always wanting to have parties with everybody.

Layla threw her last jeans on her wardrobe without taking care of folding them, and lay down on her bed, staring at the ceiling.

It was already the beginning of their third year at Alfea. Layla, just like the others, had spent her vacations with her family on Andros. She never knew what she preferred between studying all the days, or filling papers all the days. She loved her parents, she deeply did, but being royalty was sometimes too much for her. Her father was always trying to avoid wars and conflicts, while her mother was always trying to find her the good boy, with whom she could be married one day. But, at this moment, her mother couldn't bother her with that. Instead, there was Stella.

Layla adored Stella. They both were really good friends and understood each other since they both were royalty, but she couldn't deny that Stella was often annoying; it was not only about mode, but about boys. Stella didn't like seeing her friends single, because she thought that _"love was everything"_.

The door of the apartments opened slowly. Layla, hearing it, got up from her bed to meet the one who entered. Since this person might have been the girl with whom she was going to share her room, every rule had to be clear from the beginning. As she was about to talk, Layla refrained when she took a look at the young woman in front of her.

"I'm sorry. Have I mistaken with another apartment?"

She wasn't what Layla expected _at all._

Layla was ready to meet a hothead and an unlikable girl, but, instead, she was quite the contrary. Her voice was really low and it was almost hard for her to fully understand what she said. When she looked up at her, Layla saw a concern and almost frightened look, which made her forget what she was about to tell her.

"Are you…" Layla paused; it was the time she needed to remember her name. "Flora?"

She nodded, a small smile appearing on her face. "Yes, it's me."

Layla stared at her for a few moments. This face… she already saw this face once. But where? When?

"So, it's you!" Stella said while walking next to her. "It's nice to meet you, I am…"

"I know who all of you are." Flora smiled before curtsying a little. "Princess Stella."

"Please, no "Princess" with us!" Stella said in a friendly way. "We are just like the others here."

"You really know us all, Flora?" Bloom stepped forwards, holding her blue rabbit Kiko on her arms.

The brunette nodded, her soft smile still remaining on her face. "You are princess Bloom from Domino; your Kingdom has been frozen for almost 16 years, in the course of which you were living on Earth with your adoptive parents thanks to your sister Daphne, who saved you from the ancestral witches. Now, you're living as a princess on Domino and you are engaged to Prince Sky from Eracklyon."

Layla was amazed. It was true that her red-haired friend was a princess and, because of that, was really known, but she always thought that her history of her being raised by a human couple on Earth was a secret for everybody.

"That's exactly it… How did you learn about my past?"

Flora looked down. "I have my sources."

"Why didn't you come at Alfea earlier?" Layla asked. "Aren't you going to get lost on the lessons?"

"It will be okay. I was on another school last year." She smiled at her, raising her emerald but shining eyes to her.

Layla stared at her for a few moments. Her smile was full of kindness and desire to show a good heart, but her eyes were showing a pain and describing a person who knew what suffering was. Her whole face was showing a person who was only trying to be strong, or at least pretending to be.

"I'd better unpack my things." Flora said while taking her suitcase from the floor. "Could you please tell me which room is mine?"

"This one." Layla pointed their room. "We are going to share it. I hope it's okay."

Flora nodded. "Of course, it's not a problem." She passed next to Layla, smiling softly at her. "Thank you, princess-" she stopped for a second before modifying "I mean, Layla."

She then entered the room, followed by Layla.

"I never met someone like this before." Bloom said, looking at Kiko who jumped from her arms and ran behind Flora.

"What do you mean, Bloom?" Stella asked as they walked towards Musa and Tecna's room, to help Musa unpacking, since she might have troubles with her instruments.

"I don't know. I don't think I ever met someone like this. She was smiling, but she didn't seem happy."

"Maybe she is uneasy because we are princesses. She seems to know a lot about us, that's why she might not feel comfortable here, as if she was a stranger."

Bloom didn't seem convinced. "Who knows?" She just said while opening the door of Musa's room and entering, followed by her best friend.

* * *

Flora was silent as she unpacked her things. Layla, who was laying on her bed pretending to be reading to look at what her chamber comrade was doing, noticed that a large part of her clothes weren't colourful; there were dark purple shirts, dark red skirts, dark blue dresses, but nothing joyful. What she was wearing was only a knee length black dress with tights and ballet pumps. She couldn't deny Flora was pretty; but her clothes' colours only strengthen her thoughts: Flora wasn't happy (it was something she remembered from Stella's speeches about clothes). She didn't even noticed Kiko on the bed, trying to catch her attention without success.

"So, where do you come from?" She asked, trying to start conversation.

"Linfea." Flora answered.

"You seem to know a lot of things about us."

"I know a lot of things about almost all royal families of the magic dimension."

"Where did you learn about Bloom's past story?" Layla put her book on her nightstand "This was supposed to be a secret for… those who aren't royalty."

Flora looked up again, and Layla was surprised to see that she was still smiling. "I was close to Linfea's royal family."

 _Was?_

"And they often talked about Bloom, Stella, Musa, Tecna, and even you, Layla, because all of your families are allies of Linfea. I think I know more about you than you could imagine."

This expression, this way of speaking, she definitely knew them.

"Did we… meet each other once?"

"No." Flora shook her head with this same smile, finally noticing Kiko and starting caressing the bunny's head, who showed an happy face. "We didn't."

* * *

 **I've been planning to write this story for a while xD I hope you liked this beginning anyway, even if I know the plot isn't revealed at all there.  
**

 **If you are a Fairy Tail _manga_ reader, some scenes on this fanfic are maybe going to remind you of something! (I'm not telling you which one, you'll see!)**

 **Reviews? :D**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

The first night was one of the calmest she ever spent at Alfea. It was firstly because her friends were tired and went to sleep early after Flora was introduced to Musa and Tecna, but also because her roommate was very quiet and only talked when Layla started a conversation. She was just reading a novel, with headphones on her ears. And when Layla asked if she could turn the lights off, Flora only nodded, saying a small "goodnight.", before falling asleep quickly.

When morning came, Layla asked her if she was going to wait for them to go to lunch room and eat with them. She seemed quite surprised, but she said yes.

Layla – just like a major part of the girls – wasn't fond of Alfea's lunches. It was the only thing she had against this school: except for breakfasts, which were always good, she only ate because she had to.

When the meal arrived – composed of apples, pears, slices of bread with strawberry jam, and some chocolate cupcakes with milk and orange juice - , all the girls started eating. Because of all the noises due to all the other girls talking around them, the Winx, just like they did the years before, decided to wait to go back to their dormitory to talk –they didn't have classes before afternoon-, since they wouldn't hear each other. This caused Flora to think that the girls were moody during the morning.

But this thought was broken when the girls were back to their rooms, where Stella insisted to make her stay with them, so she wouldn't remain alone on her room.

"Where do you come from?" She asked; Layla knew it was the beginning of a long questioning session, and hoped Flora wouldn't be annoyed. But, surprisingly, she smiled and answered as she did the day before. "Linfea."

"Isn't Linfea the planet where Krystal comes from?" Musa asked.

Flora nodded. "We… met each other once." She looked down, her smile didn't disappear a single moment from her face. "She is a nice person."

"She surely is." Tecna answered, and Layla was surprised that she wasn't on her cell phone. "She is really clever; I heard that she passed successfully the first year tests last year."

"She is at Alfea?" There was a light of curiousness mixed with surprise on her voice. Flora looked at Tecna, who nodded. "She arrived last year and had started her second year with the others yesterday."

"That's cool." Flora sighed. "Maybe I should say hello to her later."

Then, somebody knocked at the door. Musa stood up and opened, revealing 4 boys wearing the same blue and white uniform. The first one, brown-haired, had his arms wide opened, and Stella jumped into them with a large smile.

"How are you doing, Stella?"

"I'm fine!" She looked at him. "I missed you so much, Brandon!"

"So did I."

And, with that, each girl except Layla went to hug her boyfriend. Flora was surprised that Layla didn't even seem jealous about it; she was just sitting on the couch, looking at them with a smile, saluting the red-haired and blonde boys.

"Hey, there is a new member of the group here?"

Flora noticed that Brandon was looking at her, still with Stella on his arms. She smiled and stood up.

"I'm Flora." She introduced herself. "I arrived yesterday."

"Nice to meet you. We're-" The blonde guy started but, Flora stopped him.

"I know who you are; Prince Sky of Eraklyon." She said. "You are his squire and bodyguard, Brandon. You are Timmy, and you work in Zenith with Tecna to make sure all the devices of the planet are working perfectly. And you are Riven, one of the three captains of the royal army in Melody." Flora pointed each one of the guy with her finger each time she "introduced" him.

"She knows everything about us." She heard Bloom whisper on Sky's ear, as if she thought she wouldn't be heard. Flora decided not to respond.

"I think I'll go out." The brunette said while passing next to them.

"Are you sure?" Musa asked. "You won't get bored?"

Flora shook her head. "I have to call my parents to tell them I arrived. Plus, I don't want to disturb you. See you later!" The others didn't have time to say something; she already stepped out the room. Layla, who didn't say anything since the boy arrived, watched her leave with a concerned look, before following her, the couples being too busy on their conversations to notice it.

* * *

Layla discreetly followed Flora until they arrived on the yard, Flora sitting on the bench. She took her phone out of her pocket, and Layla could see 2 figures she could swear she already saw before appearing on it; there was a man, with the same hair colour as Flora, but with a skin so pale that it reminded her of the winter's snow. The woman, on the other hand, had tanned skin with black hair tied on a bun. She wasn't very far behind the brunette, so she could almost hear their whole conversation. She knew that spying wasn't good at all, but her curiosity about Flora's apparent sadness was stronger than her reason.

"Flora!" The woman said. "How are you, sweetheart?"

"As usual, mom." Flora replied, and Layla could almost swear she heard her sigh. "I'm just okay. And I'm sorry that I have gone so fast without warning you. I-"

"We understand, sweetheart." The man cut her off. "We know what you've been through. At least we know where you are, and we also know that Mrs Faragonda is trustworthy. You are between good hands, and this only managed to relieve us."

"Thank you Dad. I was afraid you would be mad at me."

"Mad at you?" The woman, whom Layla understood to be Flora's mother, asked with a high-pitched tone, showing that she was shocked by this sentence.

"Flora, we know how much you suffered." Her dad continued with a reassuring smile. "How could we be mad at you after all of this?"

From everything Layla heard, she understood that Flora was sad because of something recent.

"I'm sorry." Flora giggled slowly, as if she was faking it. "How is big bro' doing?"

"Colin was angry that you didn't tell him about your leaving. We tried to explain to him, and your mother made him read the note. He calmed down but we think he is still frustrated that you didn't tell him you were leaving face to face. But he'll go through it, don't worry."

"I hope so."

"We are sorry sweetheart, but we will have to hang up. There are friends of the royal family coming to the palace, and your father will have to be there."

"Don't worry, mom. It's okay."

Layla hide behind a post quickly when she heard them saying goodbyes to each other, afraid that Flora would see her. But she didn't stand up from her bench and instead took off a book from the bag she had taken with her, and put headphones on her ears.

Layla walked a few steps more, so she could see Flora from the side.

Her eyes were clearly focused on the pages of her book, avoiding everything that was around her. The beautiful smile she always had on her face was gone, leaving place only to a sad and melancholic expression.

* * *

The morning spent faster than expected. There was the meal, there was Mrs Faragonda's speech at the canteen for the newly arriving girls, and then, there was the first class with Mr Palladium. One of the most annoying lessons she ever had on ever life.

Palladium wasn't mean or boring or anything. It was just the lesson in itself.

This lesson was about the plasma spheres, which were said as one of the only spells which could be used by all the fairies, no mattered their original powers. At the beginning, they were on a sort of stadium, she didn't know where at the school, since she was only looking at the walls and windows, amazed by the size of the building.

Palladium had chosen a fairy to come to the front to make a demonstration. He had chosen a fairy named Amaryl; Flora quickly understood that she and Stella didn't really get along, since Amaryl tried to attack her with the spell; thankfully for Stella, Palladium stopped it.

And after that, they turned back on the classroom, where Palladium was going to describe all the small details of the Plasma sphere spell. Since it was one of the "easiest lessons of the year", he was going to go fast with it, and was going to introduce a spell supposed to unlock a padlock. In class, there were only doubles tables, and Flora feared that one of these stupid girls like Amaryl would sit next to her.

"May I sit here?" She heard Layla ask, which made her raise her head.

"Sure." She replied with a smile, sincerely relieved that, after all, someone nice would be with her. She didn't know Layla for long, but from what she had heard and seen, she really seemed to be kind (and more intelligent than some others.)

As Layla sat down next to her, Flora couldn't help asking "Why are you alone?"

"Well, last year I was with a noble friend from Andros, Anne, but she had to change school because her parents said that for a social rank like hers, it was important to go on a noble school."

"Alfea is a good school."

"Yes. But that's her parents; I didn't try to understand…"

"I think you were right. A least if you kept contact."

"Of course we did."

The girls weren't listening what Palladium was explaining. Instead, they kept chatting for almost the whole lesson.

"Which school did you went to before coming here?"

"It was a school on Linfea. I didn't want to go on one outside of my planet, but I changed my mind for this year."

"Something happened?"

"More or less…"Flora started playing with the pen on her hands, uneasiness coming back on her. She hoped that Layla wouldn't notice it.

"Ladies?" She heard Palladium ask. "Are you listening?"

"Yes, of course." Layla lied.

Then, Palladium eventually seemed to have noticed Flora. He stared at her for a few seconds, before asking "You weren't there last year, didn't you? What is your name? Where do you come from?"

Flora shook her head. "I'm Flora and I come from Linfea."

"If you are new, you'd better listening to what I say." He said while turning around, but, quickly, he seemed to change his mind and looked at her again. "By the way, can you repeat the spell I used there to open the padlock?" He said while using his magic to make the object appear.

Flora smiled, before standing up. " _Expedio Kateinan"_

Layla looked at her, almost shocked: she didn't make any mistakes on the spell –since the padlock opened- whereas they didn't hear a word of what Palladium said.

"Where did you learn this spell?"

"You just said it to us, sir." Flora smiled.

"No, I didn't." Palladium replied. "You weren't listening and I thought you wouldn't reply. But you did. Where did you learn this spell?"

Flora noticed that all the class was staring at her, waiting for her reply. Nervousness started taking over her, making her tremble a little. She played with the ring on her third finger again behind her back.

"I was… on a school in Linfea before. I've learned this spell there."

Palladium stared at her for a few moments, before turning back to his desk. Flora sat down again and didn't look at Layla or at anyone for the remainder of the lesson.

She was more than anything hoping that her lie hadn't been noticed.

* * *

 **It's been a while since I posted! :O**

 **I hope you liked this chapter anyway, I'm really sorry for the wait! I had some exams, and they are almost over, so I think I'll be able to write more after it!**

 **I hope the "Mr Palladium lesson" part wasn't too boring... I'm not used to write like this, in fact.**

 **Reviews? :D**


	3. Chapter 3

**I would like to thank EVERYONE for their sweet reviews! It means a lot to me, and you're all so nice! THANK YOU! :D**

 **Chapter 3**

"The first fairy's name was Arcadia. She is supposed to have created the Great Dragon itself, the one who created the Magic Dimension. Arcadia was told as being one of the most beautiful fairies, with a voice which could be compared to a mermaid's singing voice. It made her very popular with men, but she never married any. She was supposed to be one of the most beautiful fairies which ever existed. It is unknown if she is still alive or not; but if she is, she might be more than 1000. She had been a member of the Council of Elders, showing her sense of peace, compassion and justice. But she was also known as a person with a kind and pure heart, and she had never thought of rebellion against her kingdom on the planet Jupiter despite her powerful magic. She remained a role model for a lot of generations, including the ones on Earth thanks to these qualities."

Avalon stared at Flora for a few moments after her speech. When the lesson started, he immediately noticed that she was a new student, and wanted to see what she learnt from her so told previous school, and he asked her what she knew about the first fairy of the Magical Dimension.

Arcadia's life and story were to be told this year. At Alfea, she was never mentioned before the last year of the studies.

Flora told everything that could be told about Arcadia in a summarized way since he told her to speak for only five minutes, but she told everything.

"You will stay at the end of the class." He eventually said while standing up from his chair. "I'd like to have a word with you, if you don't mind."

"Not at all, sir." Flora replied as she sat down.

The class went fast. Avalon said the same things she said a few moments earlier; they spoke about Arcadia, and Avalon made as if Flora didn't speak before –which she understood, since he was a professor-. Unlike in Palladium's class, the tables were simple ones, and Flora didn't speak with Layla. She just listened to what the teacher said.

When the bell started ringing, all the girls went out, except her. Avalon erased the blackboard, before looking at her again. He sat on his desk, and took a sheet on his hands. He read it, and looked at her a few times, before speaking again.

"Flora from Linfea. Your results from your ancient school aren't said."

"It's because we didn't have exams like we will have here." It was obvious that she was lying; but Avalon didn't answer to this.

"I see." He stood up and showed her his back. "Palladium told us that you also knew a spell he didn't tell before. Is that true?"

"Yes sir."

"Did you really learn all of this at this school? I'm sorry to ask you this; it's because all the schools of the Magic Dimension are supposed to reach the same level of studies at the same time."

Flora looked down and raised her shoulders up. "In fact, I've always known that. There is no special reason for me to know it."

"Why are you here while having such knowledge?" Avalon dared asking her. "You know, for people from your level, school isn't necessary."

Flora shrugged, a small smile appearing at the corner of her lips. "I'm here because I have to do something."

"Flora!" She heard a voice calling her from behind as she walked on Alfea's corridors. She turned around to see a pink-haired girl running towards her.

"Lady Krystal?"

"Please, I already told you to stop with the "Lady", Flora." She smiled brightly as she stopped in front of her. Flora always found Krystal beautiful, and this day wasn't an exception with her coloured clothes and her hair tied up in a ponytail with a sort of grape. She almost felt ashamed of wearing her black dress, with her hair left a little curly.

"I'm sorry." Flora smiled. Krystal then looked at her with compassion.

"It's been a while since…" She noticed that Flora gasped after the "since". She just shortened her sentence by a simple: "How are you feeling now?"

Flora raised her shoulders. "I'm okay. Not bad, not good, just okay."

"I understand." Krystal changed subject; she didn't want to make her sad. "It seems that you floored it all right in Mr Palladium and Mr Avalon class."

Flora shrugged with an embarrassed smile at the corner of her lips. "I don't think I've done that much…"

"Are you kidding me?" Krystal took her shoulders in her hands. "All the girls from third years are saying that the professors were open-mouthed in front of what you did!"

Flora looked down and blushed, embarrassed. Krystal noticed it.

"Hey." She felt a little anxious; did she say something wrong? "You don't have to feel so bad with me. We are friends, aren't we?"

Flora sighed, and smiled again. "Yes, of course we are."

"So, please, if you feel uneasy because of our different social ranks, stop it."

Flora sighed again, defeated.

 _I wish I was able to tell you it had nothing to do with it…_

Three weeks. Three weeks already passed since Flora arrived at Alfea.

Mr Palladium and Mr Avalon were standing in Faragonda's office. It was already sunset; the headmistress was filling some papers.

"I'm sorry, I'm busy, sirs." She said.

"What is it about?" She asked without looking at them.

The two teachers looked at each other, asking themselves mentally who would be the one to start the conversation. Eventually, Palladium did.

"It's about our new student. Flora from Linfea."

Faragonda gasped. She cleared her throat, put the pen she was holding on her desk, finally looking at them.

"What's wrong with her?" She intertwined her fingers together under her chin.

"Flora doesn't cause any troubles or anything." Avalon continued. "The only thing wrong is… her level. Her level is higher than the others fairies', even higher than ours -sometimes-, madam."

"We made some tests, last week. She had an "A" at each one of them, and she even answered much more than what we expected, and more than what we said during the lessons, and Wizgiz told us it was the same during his lessons."

"Maybe is it because she studied at lot before coming here? Maybe she thought your lessons were going to be harder than the ones she had on Linfea?" Faragonda suggested.

The two teachers shook their heads at the same rythm. "No, there is something more than this, madam."

Faragonda stood up and looked through her window, her hands behind her back.

"We were thinking about sending her to another school, for people of her level." Palladium said.

"Maybe she'll get annoyed here. Maybe would it be better if-"

"She will stay here." Faragonda said, turning around to look at the teachers. "She won't go anywhere but here."

Avalon and Palladium looked at each other, shocked. Faragonda sighed, before sitting down again.

"Every person has a reason to be where they are, and she has hers to be here, sirs." She explained. "She is here for a special reason."

 _I'm here because I have to do something._ Avalon remembered.

"And… what would be this special reason, madam?" Palladium asked, already aware that he may not receive any answer.

Faragonda looked up at the ceiling, sighing. "When the right time will come, she'll tell everybody. But now isn't the right time."

Flora was lying on her bed, the sun entering her room through her window. She was, like always, reading a novel; her only hobby when she was alone. The other girls were gone with their boyfriends to the beach. Flora was firstly surprised Layla was gone too, until she learned that she went there only for surfing and swimming a little; since she was Andros's princess, it was normal for her to enjoy spending time on the water.

She and Flora became closer during these three weeks. Layla was the only fairy at Alfea Flora thought she could trust, and someone she could consider as a friend. She was calm, nice, respectul. She remembered the conversation they had a couple of weeks before.

 _"Did you come on Linfea, once?"_ Flora was curious.

 _"Yes, only one time, we were invited at a ball there with my parents. I didn't want to come, but they left me no choices."_

Flora giggled.

 _"Did you have a lot of friends in your school?"_

Flora nodded. _"My best friend, named Felicia, and I grew up together."_

 _"I heard you have a brother/"_

 _"Yes. He is named Colin."_ Flora smiled, a little bit nostalgic _._

 _"Don't you miss them?"_ Flora looked at them with questionning look. _"Your friends and your family."_

For the first time in front of someone except Faragonda or her family, Flora looked down, without a smile. _"Yes, a lot."_

 _"Did I say something wrong?"_

 _"No! Don't worry about it. It's just that... A lot happened lately."_

 _"Something important?"_

Flora shook her head, before forcing a smile. " _No."_

 _"You may have already been asked but... Why are you here with such a level of knowlegde?"_

 _"I'm here because I have to do something."_

Flora sighed. She felt guilty for not telling Layla the truth, but she didn't want to bother her with it.

At this moment, Flora preferred staying at Alfea alone. She had heard about the teachers wanting to send her on another school; but, thankfully for her, Mrs Faragonda defended her. She didn't want to go anywhere but at Alfea.

She was tired, but was trying to fight the urge of sleeping. Her eyes were heavy… and she couldn't help. The book she held between her hands dropped down as her head fell on the pillow behind her.

 _Her eyes closed with tears coming out from them, was trying to run away from the forest, to run away from him. The branches and mud weren't helping her, so it was easier for him to catch her back. He took her elbows on his hands, bringing her to his chest._

" _Please, Flora, listen to me!" He said, his arms wrapping themselves around her to keep her close to him._

" _I don't want to, Helia!" She cried out while trying to escape from his embrace. "I don't want to! I don't want to see you anymore!"_

" _Flora, look at me." Helia ordered firmly._

" _No!" She was more than anything trying to push him away, but despite her own strength, Helia was much stronger than her. "I can't trust you!"_

" _Of course you can!"_

" _Even if you're cheating on me with other girls?" Flora sarcastically asked on a scream._

" _When the devil did I cheat on you with other girls?" He yelled._

" _Now!" She tried to push him on the chest to make him go, but it had no effect. "This girl I saw you hugging, don't you think I wouldn't see you?"_

" _And do you know who this girl is?"_

" _I don't want to know!"_

" _But you're going to!" This time, he used one hand to lift her chin up._

" _This girl you saw me with is a good friend of mine, named Krystal, and the unique daughter of my father's best friend who helped him organizing his wedding with my mother!"_

" _And why I am supposed to give a damn about what you said?" She screamed._

" _She was the one I turned to because I needed advices to propose to you, shit!" Helia yelled back at her. She received this sentence as a huge slap on her face. Because it was the first time she heard him swear, but mainly because of what he just said. She didn't dare moving._

" _You… were going to..?" Flora didn't have to ask him, because he nodded._

" _I didn't want things to turn out like this, but…" He leaned back and took her hands on his. "Flora, I don't understand why you thought I was cheating on you."_

 _Flora didn't look at him. "You were losing interest in our relationship lately." He was about to reply, but she cut him off. "Each time I asked if you wanted to do something, you said no without explanations, each time I smiled at you, you turned your head away without a smile, and each time I talked to you, you only nodded without giving a dawn about what I said! Isn't it enough?"_

 _Helia smiled softly. Flora didn't recognize this joyful smile he always had, but only saw a sad and remorseful expression on his face._

" _I'm sorry, my love. I never wanted to make you feel like this." He lifted one of her hands to his mouth and kissed it softly. "I was tensed lately. It was because of what I just said. Each time you looked or talked to me, my mind was full of the idea that you might say "no" when I would propose… that was why I didn't want to go out with you. I didn't want to make you feel that I didn't love you anymore. But things didn't turn as I wished to…"_

 _Flora sighed._

" _Helia, about this…" Flora looked down. Helia took her chin on his hand and made her look at him again._

" _What?"_

" _You're a prince. And I am only a commoner."_

" _We've been together for almost 10 years, and you think I would leave you because of my royal blood?"_

" _Helia, there are still the traditions. You can't deny them."_

" _I'd rather leave everything, including my Prince status, than leave you, Flora."_

" _Helia! Are you aware of what you're saying?" Flora tried to bring him back to his sense. "You're talking about leaving your life behind you without any regret! What's wrong with you?"_

" _I don't care about my title and everything Flora." His voice was rude. "You mean more to me than my royalty." He cuffed her face on his hands, gently, looking right in her eyes by leaning his forehead against hers. "That's the only thing I have left to say. You are my everything Flora. I love you."_

 _Flora sighed, leaning her head on his shoulder, while he wrapped his arms around her. "I love you too. And I'm sorry."_

" _It's okay." She sighed again and wrapped her arms around his torso, burying her face on his shoulder. They remained like this, embracing each other, for a long time; it didn't matter to Flora. The feeling of his warmth, of his body was enough for her. The only sounds she heard were the sounds of his heartbeats mixed with his slow, hot breathe upon her head. She wanted to remain like this for a lifetime. But, unluckily, he leant back._

" _Now that you know about my "surprise", let me give it to you now." He went on one knee, not caring about the mud, taking her hand in his._

" _Flora, I have loved you for so many years now. Today, I love you above that words could explain, you mean everything to me. I can't imagine a future in which I wouldn't have you in my life." He took the ring out of his pocket. "Do you want our relationship to change as much as I? Will you marry me?"_

" _Yes, I will." She replied, eventually smiling. When he placed the ring on her third finger, Flora took a look at it. It was exactly the ring she dreamed of; only a golden one, without anything else on it, except the heart engraved on the outside. It was just beautiful._

 _Helia was everything she had ever wanted._

 _He stood up, took her by the waist and joined their lips, pressing her back against a tree as her arms wrapped themselves around his neck, while she deepened the kiss._

" _I KNEW IT!" a pink-haired woman yelled in joy behind a bush, making both Flora and Helia jump. "I KNEW YOU WOULD PROPOSE! I KNEW IT!"_

" _Shut up!" A little girl who didn't seem older than 11, replied while trying to shush her friend. "They noticed us now!"_

" _What the hell are you doing here, you two?!" Flora and Helia asked in unison._

" _Well, at first we were just taking a walk on the forest, but we heard you and she decided to stay listening." The little girl explained. "She said that it would be something delicious to see."_

" _And I made forecasts that you would propose to her, and I won! But now, if you'll excuse us…" The pink-haired ended by running away, followed by the little girl._

" _Come back, you two!" Flora was about to run after them, but Helia prevented her from doing so as he pushed her back against the tree and kissed her again, not letting her move. She wrapped her arms around him again, offering him her whole being._

Flora awoke in a cold sweat, panting heavily, her cheeks painted with a dark shade of red.

 _It's the third time this week I dream about this boy._ _Why?_

 **(No, Krystal** _ **isn't**_ **an ennemy! She and Flora really are friends, but...** **Nope I'm not saying anything.)**

 **I hope you liked this chapter! I don't know if the informations Flora told about Arcadia are entierly true but... anyway xD**

 **Reviews? :D**


	4. Chapter 4

**I'd like to thanks EVERYONE who left reviews! (MoonPrincess86, Saphireblue24, Rebel's Secret, Wildlife1103, LoveFloraHelia, Floramielena, Soniyamalik444, Cahaya Sidur, cybercorpsesnake,Sweetmemory1998) You're all so nice, I'm really glad you enjoy my story! THANK YOU!  
**

 **And... because I had some troubles for sending PM's because of my internet (that's why I'm thanking you here), I'd just like to answer something precise to Dance76326, who said my story reminded her of "Beautiful Creatures"... Well, to be honest, I never heard about it before you mentionned it :O When I'll have time, I'll watch it!**

* * *

 _ **Chapter 4**_

She stepped in, talking stairs which lead her deeply under the earth. She was looking all around her to make sure no one was around, before pushing the rock away and entering what looked like a headquarters; or at least ruins from a headquarters.

A tall man who made at least twice her size, was stading in front of a door, staring right in front of himself, as if there was a sort of invisible spot which could only be seen by him. He crossed his sword in front of the door when she arrived.

"Password." He said without looking down at her.

"Black Rose."

"Enter."

This place was full of men and women. They were all sitting around the tables. They all were talking; and some men greeted her and her " _usual beauty_ " while she advanced. But she didn't stop to great them back; she just moved forwards to two men, who were sitting in front of a counter.

"Are you already drunk, you idiots?!" She yelled at her partners with her ear-piercing scream while hitting them behind their heads. One of the two was drinking his bear, while the other was smoking his cigarette while reading something which looked like a novel. She threw two plastic bags in front of them. "I was outside _alone_ to fill up the reserves for our place, and you, **all of you** remained inside drinking like fishes!"

All the discussions stopped after hearing her scream.

She took her hood away, revealing a long, white hair falling down on her shoulders. She removed some bangs from her left eye with her fingers.

"Shut up, Veronica!" The smoking man said, raising his hand on the air as a sign of disrespect.

"We are _not_ drunk." The other answered in a whisper.

"Hey! A bit of politeness, _please!_ "

"And you're the one who says that?!" The drinking one crashed his fist on the counter. When he took a look at her, he calmed down, a drop of sweat rolling down his forehead when he saw her jade eye turning into a bloody red one. "Milady."

"You're unbelievable, guys." Veronica sighed as she sat down on the counter, crossing her legs. Bangs were fully covering her right eye, leaving only her left one being seen. Her skin was tanned, and the clothes she was wearing were only blacks.

"What do I offer you this time, milady?" The barman asked while drying up a glass.

"Black coffee." She simply answered without looking at him.

"We should be outside instead of there." She complained. "We should be reigning over the world since last year at least!"

"We _should_ be, but we _aren't._ This is the difference between dream and reality, Veronica."

"Throw this cigarette away, Ares."

"What a pain in the neck you can be sometimes." He sighed as he did what he was told.

"It's because of this stupid idea that we are there, hiding and drinking all the days on a bar." The other replied while taking another mouthful of his beer. "What a pity."

"We were going to win!" She crashed her fist on the counter. "If this girl and this boy didn't have interfered, we would have won!"

"But we _didn't_ win, Veronica!" Ivan yelled, standing up, throwing his glass on the floor; which made everybody in the room look at them "We didn't win, and now we're living under the world, searched by the army!"

"If all of you were a little bit more capable, we would have won, Ivan!"

"With one "if" we can make what we want, Veronica!"

"Do you think I've chosen this to happen?!" She yelled, standing back again. "Are you saying it was my fault?!"

It was like he didn't want to answer her question, since he didn't reply the same way. "Look at us now! The Black Rose Group, the clan which was about to take Magix's kingdom once and for all! If our desire of power didn't grow up to a conquest of the universe, we wouldn't have ended up like this! Now, we're only living with vine, beer and _this!_ " He fiercely handed her a black rose. "What do you think we can do with _that_?!"

Veronica started at the flower he was holding on his hand.

 _Death. Rebirth. Blossom. Darkness._

A smile slowly appeared on her face. Ivan was about to throw the item on the floor and trample it. She jumped on him to prevent him from doing so.

"Where did you get this?" Veronica almost hit him to take the flower when he was about to throw it on the floor. "Where?!"

He was astonished by her changing attitude; he sat down again on the chair when she pushed him. "I-it blossomed after the battle."

"Why did you keep it with you the entire time? Why didn't you give it to me, witch of the forest?"

His trembling voice was almost a whisper. "S-since it was the only flower left after the battle and since it was a black rose I-I thought it might have worth a lot of money, milady."

"I thought the place was completely destroyed after this girl's attack." Veronica looked at him in disbelief, holding the rose on her hands as if it was the most precious treasure of the universe.

He was clearly trembling and seemed scared of her. "I-it was completely bare and destroyed I thought it might have been a sign…"

"Did you really found this in the middle of nowhere?"

He nodded. "I-I did… b-but this thing was useless! It didn't show any magic or any luck at all!"

"Useless?" Veronica repeated his exact word. "Useless."

She started laughing; her ear piercing, echoing, crazy laugh made her look like a crazy, losing tempers woman.

"What are you laughing at?" Ares dared asking after looking at Ivan.

"This rose _isn't_ useless. At all."

Her partners looked at her while raising an eyebrow.

"Why didn't you just tell us you found this, stupid?" She scolded Ivan. "If you did it earlier, victory would have been ours a long time ago!"

"Are you starting again with this plan?" Ares turned back on his chair. "It's a waste of time now Veronica."

"No, it is not!" She caressed flowers' petals with the tip of her fingers. "The black rose, our symbol, grew up on the bare floor after a battle. It's the sign of our rebirth." Veronica smirked. "You still don't understand?"

They both shook their heads.

"Rebirth. Bare. Death." Veronica said those three words a few times; but it didn't seem to click on their minds. She sighed noisily.

"With my magic and with this black rose, we can bring someone back to life. Is it clear now?"

"REALLY?!" Ivan yelled, along with almost the whole people in the headquarters.

"How can you be so sure about it?" Ares asked, a light of disbelief on his eyes.

"Remember that nature and I are connected." He put the black rose on the inside pocket of her cape. "It told me so."

Ares didn't reply.

" _Who should we bring back?"_ " _We have a lot of powerful wizard who were killed, I'm sure we should bring one of them!" "We could bring back my father, he was a great wizard!"_ " _Or why not the first fairy Arcadia? She's so powerful!"_

Veronica didn't listen to all the suggestion, except the last one.

 _She's so powerful. We know someone who was also very powerful. Soemone who almost beat us with one spell.  
_

She jumped and pointed the woman who said this. "I have a better idea than you!"

She jumped and recoiled from a few steps. Victoria ignored it and turned to her partners. "Ares, Ivan, come with me." She then climbed upon a table, knocking over two glasses of orange juice. "When this person will be back to life, we will have our victory, and more than this, we will have _revenge._ "

* * *

"Is it far away? We've been walking there for three hours, Veronica!" Ivan complained.

"Shut up and walk, Ivan." Ares sighed.

"It's you who just should shut up!"

"I'm not scared of you!" Ares stepped aside and raised his fist, a sort of black snow appearing all around it.

"Me neither!" Ivan did the same, but not magic appeared.

Veronica turned around and looked at the two men behind her, her usual green eyes turning into bloody red the same way as it did before. They both kept silent.

The three had been walking for three hours, hiding behind their black capes since there were soldiers in the whole country, looking for them.

"Stop fighting. Would you prefer to be caught?"

The remainder of the trip was made in a total silent. Veronica was walking faster than the others, and was constantly looking around her to make sure no one was looking at them.

Eventually, they arrived before a forest.

"What are we doing here, Veronica?" Ares asked, stepping next to her.

She didn't answer, and went on walking on the woods.

They eventually arrived in the heart of the forest; only made of rocks. The place wasn't enlightened at all. Ivan and Ares had to follow Veronica and her deep sense of direction not to get lost.

"We're there." She stopped them by raising her arms on the air. They were in front of what seemed like a cavern; an opening showed light made by a lot of fireflies flying on the air all around it. Ivan and Ares opened their eyes widely, recognizing this place.

 _Linfea's secret place.  
_

"Why are we here?!" Ivan shouted. "You're not thinking about bringing _him_ to life, no?!"

"Yes. I'll bring him back."

"Are you crazy?!" He went in front of her to prevent her from entering. "He's our enemy! Don't you remember how powerful he is?!"

"He won't have any memory when he'll wake up." Victoria pushed him. "We will pretend being his friends thinking he was dead."

"Do you think he will follow us?" Ares looked at her in disbelief. "He is from the light side. He won't enter darkness like this."

Victoria sighed and took another step. "When you don't have any memory, you are easy to manipulate." She took the black rose out of her cape, closing her eyes, as she walked inside. "He won't have to know we are from darkness."

"But, he will clearly see we want revenge."

"Even those from the good side want revenge, Ares." She turned around to look at them one last time.

"We are the black rose group, who fought for Linfea's sake and peace, but the selfish and arrogant army wanted to do it by themselves and rejected our help only to have more money, glory. They pretended we were born for war. _He_ was one of us. But, one day, his parents discovered it, were angry to learn he was going out without permission, moreover in order to fight, and kicked him away after an argument. He stayed with us, but he decided to continue fighting for peace. One day, we were charged by the army. He was killed that day, and we all had to hide on a cavern. Are you okay with that?"

Ares didn't answer the way she wanted. "Why bringing _him_ back? He's still an enemy."

Victoria smirked. "Don't you remember how _powerful_ he is? He is said to be one of the tenth most powerful wizard of the universe. He beat our troops of 1,000 soldiers only with one of his weakest spells. If we can have him by our side, victory will be waited on hand and foot."

"He will forget how to use magic if his memory is erased."

She shook her head. "No. Magic is a part of you, a different one from your memory. You can lose your memory without forgetting how to use magic."

Ares didn't look convinced at all. Eventually, Ivan came to help Veronica, putting a hand on his shoulder. "If we don't try, we don't know what will happen after.

"If my plan works, then we will finally reach our ultimate goal: power and revenge."

"How do you think he will avenge us? He is the one who took victory away from us last year."

"Don't you remember he also had friends? His friends were destroyed and desperate by his death. If they see him _alive_ and helping _us_ , then, they'll become vulnerable, and it will be our chance for defeating them, Ares."

They all stayed silent a moment. The moment turned into a minute. The minute turned into five minutes. Ares was still standing up, his hands on his pockets under his black cape.

Veronica grabbed Ivan's wrist and dragged him with her on the cavern. "If you don't want to come, then, don't."

"As if I had a choice." He finally whispered as he followed them, looking down. He clearly didn't trust Veronica's plan.

"Ivan. Use your telepathy to warn all the others at the headquarters. Tell them all I said; about the life he was supposed to have, and orders them to pretend being his friends." He nodded.

Victoria then walked towards the center of the small cavern, where a body rested upon a flat rock, surrounded by glass. He was dressed with a blue fur coat added to black pants, his hands crossed over his chest, holding the top a golden sword. His lips were completely closed, just like his eyes. His skin was as pale as white as a sheet, reminding a vampire.

A vampire without a single spark of life on his body.

Victoria raised her hand and made all the glass around him explode. She removed the sword from his hands, and instead put the black rose between them.

 _Don't worry, my dear. I will take care of you._

* * *

 **I swear this will be the shortest chapter of the fic! I really had hard time writing it.**

 **I hope you still like it anyways!**


	5. Chapter 5

**So, again, I'd like to thank EVERYONE who left those sweet reviews! I don't know why, I** **can** **just reply to the PMs. Maybe it comes from my computer, and I hope it will be fixed for this chapter. Ayway, I'm really glad you like my story!  
**

 **And, I'm sorry for the wait!**

 **Chapter 5**

"I never thought you lived all this!" Layla clapped her hands together as she looked at Flora who was still wearing this beautiful but melancholic smile on her face. Flora had been telling her friend about her past life on Linfea, when she freely helped her planet's people for almost every kind of problem they could face.

"My friends and I were fighting for the others in Linfea. We didn't do this for money, but for the smile on their faces. It was enough."

"It's unusual to have people thinking that way." Layla smiled.

Flora didn't answer and simply giggled.

"It's weird." She eventually said when Layla stood up to recover a sheet which had fallen on the floor; after remaining a few moments in silence.

Five months had already passed since the entering day at Alfea.

Flora, who had an A with a perfect score at the last exam with Palladium, Layla had asked her some help, which Flora gladly accepted. However, the two, just like almost the day Flora arrived, where talking about their lives.

They had become very good friends and were often going out on the town together and with the others Winx.

"What?"

"That…" The brunette thought for a few seconds, before closing her book. "No, forget about it, maybe you don't want to talk about this." Flora put her book aside to take another one.

"Don't worry, Flora. Just ask."

Flora took a deep breathe. "I was just wondering… There's something I actually don't know about you."

"Really?" Layla raised an eyebrow, surprised that Flora was about to ask her something. It was usually the contrary; Layla would be the one asking her something about her life.

Flora nodded. "I've heard almost everything about your life before knowing you, but… I've never heard about you being in couple and everything… And I was-"

"You're wondering why I am still single." Layla smiled, while ending her friend's sentence.

Flora looked down, as if she felt a little ashamed of asking herself this. "If you don't want to tell me about this, it's okay."

"Don't worry, I'm used to this." Layla sat again on the bed. "It's not that I don't interest boys. It's just that I am not interested in boys."

Flora raised an eyebrow. "So, you've never had any boyfriend?"

"Actually, I did. Three years ago. His name was Nabu." Layla sighed with a sad smile on her face.

"Nabu, from the noblest family of Andros?" Flora asked, gasping when Layla nodded. The Andros's princess was looking down, letting Flora understand why she was single.

Flora had already heard about this young man, who was suffering from the same illness from his parents. And just like his parents…

 _He died three years ago._

Flora only wanted to slap herself for reminding this to Layla. But she didn't seem to be mad at her.

"I loved him so much." Layla sighed. "I think you didn't hear about us because we kept our relationship secret. We had been together since childhood, and we were engaged to be married two or three months before his death. Even if I managed to be happy again, I think that, unconsciously, I've never been able to go through his death. That's maybe why I'm still single."

Flora didn't reply. Sadness could clearly be seen on her eyes.

"You're the first one I'm able to talk about him to." Layla stood up again.

That was weird. Layla only knew Flora for a couple of months, but she felt a sort of faith, of confidence in her, that she never had with the others, as if… as if Flora was able to understand her feelings completely, as if she was able to react the way people need her to. She did it each time Layla told her something about her life; about her loneliness during childhood, about her difficulties of being a princess. Flora always knew what to say.

At this moment, Layla thought Flora would stand up and hug her in apology. But, in the contrary, she remained there without moving, her lips trembling, her eyes glowing as if tears were about to go out from them. She was acting in the opposite way Layla imagined she would: that was to say, she wasn't acting at all.

 _You can't imagine how I'm feeling right now, Layla…_

"What's wrong, Flora?" Layla gave her a reassuring smile, hoping to make her feel better. "You know, you don't have to feel sad about this. I've had time to turn the page."

The brunette looked down and sighed. She remained a few moments in a total silent, her eyes closed, her lips still trembling. Layla feared to see her cry. She didn't know what to say. Did Flora felt bad because she made her remember something that was hurting?

Layla thought this way for a few moments, until Flora eventually spoke.

"Layla. I need to tell you something."

Layla opened her mouth to tell her to speak, but the door slammed opened, revealing and angry Stella who walked towards Flora.

"Hello to you too, Stella." Flora quickly rubbed her eyes with her arms. She then looked at her blonde roommate and raised an eyebrow at Stella's apparent bad mood. The sun fairy didn't reply and handed her a sheet.

"How the _devil_ did you _manage_ to have a perfect score _again_?!"

Flora then managed to look what was written on the sheet Wizgiz apparently told Stella to give to her.

 _A_ _._

 _20/20._

All of this written in red.

"Oh, he already gave the tests back?" Flora tried to change the topic of discussion, but when she was about to take her test out of Stella's hands, she sat on the bed, sighing noisily.

"You must have paid them, how is it possible to have perfect scores at _every_ test since the entering day while we didn't go further than A- ?"

"I studied at lot."

"Liar." Layla laughed while recovering some books which had fallen from her desk.

"It's the truth." Flora raised her hands in defense when Stella started glaring at her. "I like studying. I always thought it was something enjoyable."

"Yes, sure." Stella sarcastically answered, before throwing her tongue out. "You knew everything _before_ classes started."

"I had a good teacher last year, in my school." Flora stood up and stretched her arms up.

Stella reflected for a few minutes, bringing her hands under her chin while looking at the emptiness. Flora stared at her with a smile at the corner of the lips.

Three of four days after the entering day at Alfea, Layla introduced each girl at Flora while they all were on a restaurant with their boyfriends. Layla told her that Stella was a "paradox by herself": she was somebody full of life, but she was lazy, especially when it came to studying. She was somebody very friendly, but a lot of girls rejected her company. But there was something special about her, something that Flora couldn't deny: Stella always managed to bring a sparkle of joy in everyone's lives, without even doing it on purpose.

Flora couldn't explain the feeling each girl from the Winx Club brought to her. Bloom somehow gave her courage to do things she wouldn't do by herself (she still remembered the day when they all went out together on shopping; she hesitated trying on a pink dress because she thought it was too colorful. Bloom pushed her on buying it, which she finally did, and she couldn't deny she didn't regret it.). When Musa was around, Flora felt like it would always be harmony between everybody. Tecna was maybe the coldest of all the girls, but she still felt sincerity and kindness in what the fairy of technology did. Stella was somebody who amused her a lot, because of her changing mood and her sense of humor, which were unique.

And there was Layla. She was someone nice, maybe one of the nicest girls Flora ever met. When she was with Layla, she felt like remembering her life on Linfea. She reminded of her own best friend, Felicia. They both had the same gestures, the same habits, the same way of talking. They both were curious people, who liked learning everything. Maybe that was because of their similarities that Flora felt confident with Layla, and thought she could tell her everything.

"I want you to be my personal teacher!" Stella jumped out of the bed, breaking her thoughts. "I want to have an A at the next test! Teach me everything you know!"

"I'm sorry, Stella." Flora shrugged with a smirk at the corner of the lips. "I've already promised Layla I would be helping her."

"And does it prevent you from helping me?" Stella pouted.

"She already has a lot to do with me, my poor Stella." Layla laughed at the other side of the room. Flora sighed with a smile while Stella began glaring at her friend who pretended putting her things away.

"Listen, I swear I won't talk about mode or won't interrupt you when you'll be talking. It would be as if I wasn't there!"

"You won't be talking?" Layla raised an eyebrow.

"I can be as silent as a grave when I want to!"

 _A grave…_

Flora's mind involuntarily remembered the picture of a grave after hearing the word coming from Stella's mouth. But whose grave was it?

"I'll become your fashion model for two months when you'll be silent for more than 2 hours."

"You're on. And if I'm not talking for, let's say, 2 hours when Flora will be teaching us, then you'll go and talk and go on a date with Nex, the new specialist of the team who's looking at you since a few days."

"Stella, this bet is unfair." Flora was trying to change Stella's mind about it, remembering what Layla just told her.

" _I didn't accept his death"._

Flora was fully aware that Layla didn't want to date another specialist at the moment, and didn't want her to see a man because of a stupid bet which would have been started because of her; since it was because she had perfect scores since the beginning of the year that Stella went to see her.

But, to her surprise, Layla winked at her, before turning her glance towards Stella again.

"I'm on."

Stella jumped out from the bed and stood up on her feet, her arms raised up. "I'll have an A at the next test!"

Flora giggled nervously. "Stella, I'm not sure I'll be a good teacher…"

Before Stella could scold her for saying something like this, someone knocked. The door opened, revealing Bloom smiling brightly.

"Hey girls! Since we all had good marks at our exams, we were thinking about going to the new park which opened a few days ago. Are you up to?"

Stella and Layla nodded. Flora remained silent while looking down.

"Flora?" Stella asked while staring at the brunette who started trembling, her face growing paler and paler each second. She brought her hand on her forehead, resting her head on it.

"Are you alright?" A suddenly worried Layla brought a hand behind her friend's back, starting rubbing it. Her green top was wet, and Layla understood it was because of sweat.

Flora started panting, but after a few seconds of breathing deeply, cooled down, her face regaining colors. "Yes. I was just feeling a little dizzy." She straightened herself on the bed. "It happens when the air is too hot."

Layla stared at her, her lips forming a perfect line. She knew Flora was lying.

It was February; the whole city of Magix was covered by a thick coat of snow, and the air so cold that breathing was creating mist. Moreover, there wasn't any heating on the room, since she and Layla preferred sleeping under their sheets during the night more than sleeping over it. But she decided not to tell anything about it; maybe Flora had her reason for lying.

"Are you feeling better?" Bloom took a step towards the other girls, while Flora nodded.

"Do you want to come with us?" Stella asked again. "If you don't feel well, you'd better stay here."

"I'm alright." Flora sighed. "Are the boys coming along?"

Bloom shook her heads from left to right. "No. They have tests today."

"Then." Flora eventually smiled. "I'm coming."

* * *

"There's snow everywhere!" Musa was making small jumps all around the road, in the park, while the other girls were sitting on grass covered with snow. "It's so beautiful!"

"You look like a child." Stella giggled. "Have you never seen snow before?"

Musa shook her head, her bright smile still planted on her face. "There's no snow on Melody. I'm so glad I can see it in Magix!"

Flora giggled from behind, her back resting against a tree. She was amused to see how Musa could look younger when she was happy. In fact, it was one of the snow's powers. Bringing people back to childhood.

The park was full of children, accompanied by their parents. They were all building snowmen, or playing snowball fight. Flora remembered doing this with her brother Colin and her best friend Felicia when she was around 8 or 10; on her parents' huge garden.

"By the way, Stella, why is there snow in your planet?" Tecna asked while taping something on her cellphone; something the other took the habit of seeing her doing. "Since it's always sunny, it isn't logical."

Stella shrugged. "I don't know it either. In fact, I've never reflected about it. Maybe there is no explanation about it."

Flora, who went away from the tree to lie on the snow, shook her head. "Actually, there is one."

"Which is?" Tecna raised an eyebrow, curious.

Flora sat up again. "Solaria have a different atmosphere composition. Around all the planets, the clouds are before the Sun. It's the contrary for Solaria. The clouds are behind the sun."

"But the sun should make the snow melt." Bloom stated.

"No. Heat makes the snow melt." The brunette added. "Look today; it's sunny, but the snow doesn't melt because the air is cold."

"Tell me, Flora." Stella cut her off by sitting next to her. "Why are you at Alfea?"

"Why are you asking this again? You already asked me a hundred times." Flora used her hand to draw a sun and a tree on the snow.

"You clearly don't need to go to school with all this knowledge you possesses, and it becomes more and more evident each day!"

Flora smiled and looked up at Stella. "Because I have to do something. My answer is still the same, Stella."

Stella sighed. "Okay, then, I'll ask you something else!"

"Stella!" Bloom shouted. "Leave her alone!"

"Don't worry, Bloom." Flora giggled. "As long as it isn't something too personal, I don't really care with answering."

Stella winked. "Don't worry it isn't! I'm just wondering, why aren't you coming out with us when the boys are with us?"

Flora gasped. She was clearly surprised by Stella's question.

Layla noticed that Flora started trembling, just like she did a few hours before. Only, this time, she hid her hands behind her back, as if she was ashamed.

"T-there is no special reason." Flora replied. Her voice was as trembling as her hands. "I-I just prefer going out with girls only."

"Is it because you're ashamed of being single?" Stella elbowed her friend. "You know you can tell us now."

"Stella!" Musa yelled. "That's not something that can be asked!"

"No." Flora replied, ignoring what Musa just said; her look growing darker. Layla never saw Flora acting like this since she knew her. It was the first time she didn't see melancholy or kindness, but only saw anger and hatred on the brunette's eyes.

"So, you have a boyfriend?" Stella continued.

"Stella!" All the other girls screamed in unison.

"No." Flora replied again; this time, it was clear that she was making all the efforts she could possibly do to remain calm.

"Maybe you have a fiancé. I saw a ring on your finger." Stella winked. "So?"

This time was too much. Flora stood up on a jump, glaring at the sun fairy who looked at her in shock. "This is _none_ of your business Stella! You, your stupid habit of curiosity and your selfishness don't have _any_ right to speak about boys in front of me after what I just lived! And it's not because you're a _princess_ that I'll answer you!"

Flora then gasped, realizing that she just yelled; realizing _what_ she just yelled.

"I-I'm sorry Stella! I-I'll go!"

Stella didn't have time to catch her back; she was already gone.

"Flora! Wait!" Layla stood up and started running after the brunette. "I'll go after her!"

"You and your lack of tact." Musa sighed, clearly annoyed. "You even managed to make her cry! Aren't you happy?"

"I didn't think it would be so hurtful!" Stella raised her shoulders. "I shall go and apologize."

And with that said, she stood up and started searching for Flora, who already disappeared from her sight, leaving Bloom, Musa and Tecna alone.

* * *

"Flora, are you alright?" Layla had been searching for her friend during five minutes, only to find her sitting on a bench, her head on her hands. The brunette didn't reply and remained in the same position; as if she was frozen.

"Flora, you don't have to take Stella's words so seriously." Layla sat next to her and started rubbing her friend's back with her hand. "She's always like this. If you didn't want to answer her questions, you just had to-."

Layla was cut off when she felt Flora's back trembling. Her shoulders where raising from up to down; and Andros's princess could clearly hear sobs.

Flora was crying.

"Flora!" Layla almost cried. "What's wrong?"

"I'm so weak, Layla." Flora eventually looked up, wiping her tears away. "I'm so weak, that's what I'm ashamed of."

"Why are you saying this?" Layla was confused. "Of course you're not! It's just that there are subjects that can't be talked about with you, that's all!"

Flora shook her head. "That's not what I'm talking about." She sighed deeply, moving her look from the floor to the sky. "Do you remember this morning? I wanted to tell you something."

"Yes, but Stella interrupted us."

Flora nodded. "I can tell it to you why I'm at Alfea, as long as you promise you will never talk about it to anyone."

"I promise."

Flora then took a deep breathe. It was obvious that she was gathering all her courage to talk.

"Did… Did you hear about Prince Helia?"

* * *

 **Yup, there will be revelation in the next chapter! The next one might be longer, I don't really know. This time, I'll make sure to post it soon!**

 **I hope you liked this one as well! I had troubles writing it because of the beggining!**

 **And again, THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR ALL YOUR REVIEWS! You're making me so glad! :D  
**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

 **DISCLAIMER : I don't own Winx Club from Iginio Straffi nor the song "Everytime" from Britney Spears**

"Prince Helia from Linfea." Layla said, staring at a nodding Flora, who was still looking at the sky.

"Did… Did you hear what happened to him?"

Layla only nodded. At this precise moment, she didn't dare replying. As a princess, it was obvious that she had to know the whereabouts and all the single news about the royal families of the other planets.

 _Helia died a year before after being killed_.

Layla had heard about his death while listening to a conversation between her parents, King Teredor and Queen Niobe, and Stella's father, King Radius. They were talking about their friends; Helia's devastated parents, mourning over the murder of their only son.

Layla could remember that her Father felt sad, since him and King Aniello had been friends since childhood, by seeing his fellow and his wife mourning, crying this way. Layla, who didn't know Helia that much, didn't really pay attention at this moment; even if she couldn't deny she felt something hitting her on the heart by seeing such a tall, with an obvious physical strength man like King Aniello crying this way.

But there, a year later, she did pay attention. She was ready to listen.

 _Notice me  
Take my hand  
Why are we  
Strangers when  
Our love is strong  
Why carry on without me?  
_

The young man, who was still resting on the rock, didn't move. Veronica held her breathe back as she let her hands falling, hoping she managed to use the spell properly. It was the first time she used a Black Rose to do something as important as bringing someone to life. It was a spell forbidden by nature, and she was hoping that it wouldn't punish her for breaking the law.

She sighed in relief when she heard a deep breathe coming from him.

His eyes opened slowly. He had to close them quickly after, the sun shining too brightly. He raised his arm to cover them; it was hard. He really felt weak.

When he managed to fully open his eyes again, he stood up a little, resting on his elbows. He looked all around him, obviously shocked.

"W-Where am I?"

"Helia!" Veronica clapped her hands together, a false happy smile planted on the lips, making Helia turn his head towards her. Ares and Ivan were still standing behind her; the same false smile on the lips, since Veronica told them to do so. "W-We thought you were dead!"

Helia stared at the woman for a few seconds. Her face seemed totally unknown. He didn't have any memory of it; then he tried. He tried to remember something.

He didn't. Nothing came on his mind. His mind was as blank as a sheet of paper.

"Who… Who are you?" Helia asked while sitting up on the rock, bringing one of his hands on his head because of a sudden headache.

Veronica pretended being shocked by bringing her hands on her cheeks. "Oh, dear lord! You don't know who we are?"

"If I could already remember my own name…" Helia sighed, resting his head on his hands. "What is it? What's my name? Where am I?"

 _Everytime I try to fly  
I fall without my wings  
I feel so small  
I guess I need you baby  
And everytime I see you in my dreams  
I see your face, it's haunting me  
I guess I need you baby_

"Have you… heard about the Black Rose Group?" Flora asked, with her look still lost on the infinite sky above her.

"A little." Layla admitted. "I've heard they planned to conquer Linfea last year."

Flora nodded, while sighing. "And they almost managed to."

"Almost?" Layla raised her eyebrow. She had heard that their plan had been completely destroyed long before they managed to fulfill them. "I've heard they had been defeated after 5 minutes!"

Flora sighed. "It is half the truth. Their army had been beaten quickly."

"But to control the army, there should be leaders. Isn't it?" Layla said.

Flora nodded. "Eventually, my friends, Helia and I managed to stop them. But with a sacrifice." _  
_

 _I make believe  
That you are here  
It's the only way  
I see clear  
What have I done  
You seem to move uneasy_

"How can't you remember who you are?!" Veronica caught his arms. "You're Helia! The prince of Linfea!"

"Prince?" He raised an eyebrow, removing his hands from his forehead in shock.

"How can it be?" Ares eventually decided to play Veronica's game. After all, Helia was back to life, and they had no other choices. "You don't remember anything?"

Helia stared at him a few seconds, before shaking his head. "No."

"After all, you've hurt yourself by falling heavily on a rock on this cavern." Ivan stepped next to him. "That should explain why you don't remember anything…"

"Including us." Veronica tried to take the saddest look as possible; her eyes went down, her eyebrows arched. She tried using a high tone, as if she was about to cry.

They remained silent for a few minutes. Helia didn't really know what to do, or what to say.

"I'm sorry…" He eventually said, looking down at Veronica.

 _And everytime I try to fly  
I fall without my wings  
I feel so small  
I guess I need you baby  
And everytime I see you in my dreams  
I see your face, you're haunting me  
I guess I need you baby_

Flora looked up. Instead of firstly talking about the sacrifice made, she started otherwise. "I lied to you, the day we met."

"What did you lie about?" Layla raised an eyebrow.

"When I said we didn't met before." Flora sighed. "Actually, we did. At Helia's coronation day. I was dancing with him. You were looking at us with your parents."

Then, Layla's mind clicked. She remembered.

Two years ago, she was forced to go to Linfea with her parents, to assist Helia's official coronation as the prince of Linfea. She only remembered two things: A girl apologizing and bowing after involuntarily pushing her, and seeing this same girl dancing with the prince. The image came clearly on her mind: This girl, who was invited by Helia for his first dance as the crowned Prince, who was wearing a beautiful purple and white gown decorated with roses, who was dancing gracefully with Helia, looking at him with so much love and pride on her eyes, was Flora.

She remembered the way these two were looking at each other. This day, she wondered if they were aware of all the people around them. They were only staring at each other, smiles planted on their lips. They looked... in love.

"Helia was my childhood best friend, my boyfriend, my lover, and… my fiancé."

Layla took a look at her friend's hand which was on her lap. It was the first time she really noticed… the ring. She had seen Flora playing with it a lot since the entering day –mainly when she was nervous-; but she eventually noticed that it was placed… on her third finger: the finger for engagement and wedding rings.

She couldn't believe she didn't make a link before.

"We grew up together, since my father was and still is the captain of the army." Flora explained. "We were supposed to get married last year."

"Because of laws?" Layla asked. She knew what it was; to be forced to marry someone she didn't love; her parents were ready to do the same with her, until they discovered she was in love with somebody else. But, for Flora, it should have been different: after all, from what she said, she and Helia were in love.

"No." Flora shook her head. Her answer confirmed what she thought. "Because of love."

Layla gasped. She felt like she started understanding.

"I was madly and desperately in love with him, Layla." Flora looked down, her hands starting shaking. "He was the other half of my soul, the other half of my world, the other half oh my life."

"Flora…" Layla wrapped an arm around her friend's shoulder. She could understand her so much. She felt the same way towards Nabu; who was the most important part of her life.

The brunette gulped, gathering all her strength to go on speaking. "A month or so before our wedding, w-we were asked to go to the Swan Forest in Linfea; one of the four sacred forests. The Black Rose Group was attacking there, and was ready to destroy it. By destroying it, it would be like, destroying our planet. Or at least, it would be like killing the Queen. Helia wanted to protect his mother; that's why he came with us that day." Flora wiped away a tear which rolled over her red cheek. "I-I would have preferred him never to come."

 _I may have made it rain  
Please forgive me  
My weakness caused you pain  
And this song's my sorry_

"You said that I am the Prince." Helia stated, walking next to Ivan and Ares, who were supporting him by wrapping his arms around their shoulders. He felt pain on his legs, and had troubles for walking.

"Yes, you are." Veronica replied, trying to wear a comforting smile. "Prince Helia of Linfea, son of King Aniello and Queen Maia."

"My parents should be worried…" He looked down. If he had to meet them again, what would they say? Would they be mad at him for his "false death"? How would they react when they were going to learn about his amnesia?

"They don't know where you are, Helia." Ares sighed after a minute of total silent between them. "You've lost contact with them years ago."

"Why?" Helia's head snapped up.

Veronica, who was showing them her back since they all had to follow them, sighed. "They didn't accept our friendship. We were their enemies, and we still are." She clenched her fists, but kept a smirk on her face, taking advantage of Helia not being able to see it. "For them, we were only rats living on their holes; we didn't have any wealth, and we took the army's job by helping people freely."

Helia looked down, sadly.

"You still haven't told me what happened to me." Helia dared asking, as they entered on a cavern, behind a bush.

"It's a very long story, my dear." Veronica sighed while whispering the same password on the guard's ear. She kept her smirk on the corner of her lips when they entered the room.

 _Oh_

 _At night I pray_  
 _That soon your face_  
 _Will fade away_

"When we arrived, we didn't realize how strong they were."

Layla had heard about what they were willing to do. Their armies, their magical powers, were going to destroy the Swan forest, and by destroying the forest, they were going to kill the Queen. Maia had the strongest link with nature, as a queen, and the sacred places were the four forests which maintained her alive. She didn't know what the three other places were, but she only knew that the Swan Forest was one of them.

"We managed to beat the army, but not the leaders." Flora looked down; her voice started trembling. "Veronica, their main leader, was about to kill me. She said I was her biggest enemy: I was the Fairy of Nature, and she was the Witch of Nature. For her, we both couldn't live on the same world." Flora gripped her black skirt on her hands. "I was defenseless at this moment."

Layla's eyes grew wider. She was defenseless, and she was about to be killed. But, she was alive…

Then, her mind clicked. She felt like she understood. And when Flora decided to stop talking for a few moments, it was clear.

"He died on my arms Layla." Flora gulped. "H-He stepped between me and the sword. When I understood that he was…" Flora didn't find the courage to say the word "dead" a second time. It would be too much for her to remember the scene. "I-I freed all my power, unconsciously, because of hatred and sadness. It beat the leaders." Flora closed her eyes, as tears rolled down her cheeks. "B-But it didn't bring him to life!"

Layla felt breathless.

"A-After his funerals, I fell into depression, and I caught the "Illness of the broken hearts", which could have killed me. I remained 3 months at the hospital; they were giving me a potion to make me forget who Helia was."

Layla gasped. From what she had heard, this potion was only used to cure the most important cases of Illness of Broken Heart, because it could erase memory. Flora might have been such in a bad state that it almost hurt her heart.

"B-But Helia and had lived together since we were children. So, by forgetting Helia, I had amnesia, I didn't remember anything from my life, not even my parents, nor my friends, nor Felicia nor my own brother Colin. It was too much for me and for my family to handle."

"So, you stopped taking the potion?"

Flora nodded. "I remained one week or so at the hospital after. When they freed me, I decided to run away from my planet, leaving a letter to my family, explaining that I couldn't stay there, that I needed to change air, that… I needed to do something."

 _Because I need to do something._ This sentence had nothing to do with a mission or anything like that. It just meant… doing something to forget, to change air. Doing something to forgive herself for her beloved's death.

"But… the potion is still giving me memory troubles. During the night, I dream of Helia, of the day he proposed to me. When I wake up, I don't remember who he is. But then, I remember, and I start feeling devastated again." Flora sighed as a tear rolled on her cheek. "D-Do you remember this morning? When I told you I felt dizzy?"

Layla nodded.

"A little before you and Stella made your bets, she said "I can be as silent as a grave", and I remembered a grave, without remembering whose… Then, when Bloom entered the room, I did."

"That was why you became paler and you were shaking." Layla explained. It was because she remembered whose grave it was.

Flora nodded. "I-I feel like I am haunted. As if his face would remain in my mind forever; as if… my sadness was never meant to leave me."

 _And everytime I try to fly_  
 _I fall without my wings_  
 _I feel so small_

"Helia!" Everyone shouted, running towards him, as he entered what looked like a bar room.

"We thought you were dead!" Two girls said, a bright smile on her face.

"How are you feeling dude?" A tall man playfully punched him on the shoulder. He was surrounded by people with faces he couldn't recognize, by people who seemed happy to see him, but who were total strangers at this moment. Their cheerful cries stopped when they saw that he didn't move or say anything.

"Leave him alone, guys." Veronica caught him by the arm. "He has amnesia."

They all looked down; Helia was surprised by their lack of reaction at this moment. He thought they would hug him, or even cry.

But nothing happened. It was like… they were already aware of it, while he just arrived. It was like they predicted it. But, maybe was it the way people react when they're too shocked? Maybe... maybe was this lack of reaction was normal?

But, he couldn't say anything. After all, they saved him…

The man who was behind the bar before approached him, with a fatherly look on the eyes. "It's good to see you."

Helia looked down. He didn't know what to think, he didn't know what to tell. That was why he decided to say a simple "I'm back."

 _I guess I need you baby  
_

 _And everytime I see you in my dreams  
_

"Flora…" Layla said a second time, hoping to be comforting. Flora clenched her fists on the bench, trying her best to maintain the tears in her eyes. But, she couldn't.

"When I lost him, I lost my everything, Layla." Tears were falling on her legs, almost freezing because of the cold air.

"I felt so weak, and it was worst when you told me about Nabu, and when I saw that you could turn the page while I couldn't. I-"

"You're not weak, Flora!" Layla exclaimed. Flora still didn't look at her, but Layla heard her gasping. "Nabu and Helia... It was different. I knew Nabu was going to…" She felt like Flora; unable to use the word "die". "He was ill. I accompanied him until the end." She looked down, and sighed deeply. "Whereas you didn't see what was going on. You couldn't know this would happen!"

Flora raised her arms and wiped away her tears with her sleeve. "Thank you, Layla."

"It's okay." Layla winked. "I swear I won't talk about it to anyone."

Flora, for the first time since she had started talking, smiled. "I know."

And with that, they hugged.

 _I see your face, you're haunting me_

Helia was sitting on a chair, his back against a wall, as the other members of the Black Rose Group were partying for their partners Ivan and Ares, their leader Veronica, and for his return. At this moment, he preferred staying alone; and Veronica, who was the one who told him everything about what happened, didn't protest.

From what Veronica told him, they were on a mission; they needed to recover a rose on a cavern. But Helia had been "killed" by one of the army's member who made rocks falling on his head. He had been found after 3 days while searchers were trying to find his body, to give him proper funerals, and he was thankfully alive. Apparently, no one managed to explain this.

All these people… they were his friends. He had to trust them.

But there was something. There was a picture which couldn't help coming back on his mind. Something they didn't tell him about.

He only remembered the face of a gorgeous woman; the bright like coming from behind her made her look like an angel coming down from the sky, with her hair flying all around her, supported by the wind, a pair of beautiful jade eyes shining like a couple of diamonds, and pink lips forming a smile so beautiful that it was hard to describe it with words.

 _I guess I need you baby_

* * *

 **Hey everybody!  
**

 **Again; thank you for all your reviews on the last chapter!**

 **Yes, this is revelation! It's the first time I'm writing something like this (and the first time I write a songchapter), so, I hope I've done it well enough.**

 **I've chosen Layla as the one Flora confessed to, because she also lost Nabu like she said, but I think these two will have a very strong friendship in the future.**

 **I hope you liked this chapter anyway!**

 **Thank you again everyone for your support, you're all so nice!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Weeeeeeeeeeell... How do I start ?**

 **First of all, I wanted to apologize for the lack of updating. I started College and I didn't have time to write. I'm really sorry I made you wait so long before posting it, and I hope the rest of the story will worth your wait!**

 **Thank you for all your sweet reviews, you're all so nice!**

* * *

 **Chapter 7**

King Aniello gripped the picture his father-in-law gave him a few hours before between his fingers before rubbing his eyes with his free hand.

The photography was taken during a night; Helia, or at least somebody who looked like him, was walking on a road with a cape sewn with a grey rose on the back. The Black Rose Group.

He, his wife Queen Maia, his father-in-law Saladin, and his own mother were on their dear son's grave, while two soldiers were gathering the pieces of glass on the floor.

After taking a deep breathe, he asked for talking with Saladin alone.

"He was dead… We saw it… How can it be?"

"I've read something about a flower which manages to bring people back to life." Saladin whispered to Aniello, hoping his daughter wouldn't hear him. "The black rose. It's the only item which can bring a Linphean back to life, as long as the spell is cast by a witch of nature."

 _Veronica…_

"But why would they do this? Helia was their enemy…"

"Revenge." Saladin sighed. "But not only on the kingdom."

"On Flora too." They heard Aniello's mother say behind them, making them turn around. "She was the one who defeated them, after all."

"Does she know about this all?"

"I don't think." Saladin admitted. "She would have come back already."

"You have to tell her." Aniello's mother said to Saladin, who nodded, taking the picture back from Aniello.

"We're coming too." The King said, _we_ including himself and his wife.

* * *

It was 2 a.m., and a certain brunette fairy still wasn't sleeping.

Flora was sitting on her bed, playing with the engagement ring Helia gave her, turning it between her fingers, looking at it on all its angles. The most beautiful thing she ever held on her hands.

Because it came from him. The love of her life.

 _It's been one year, right? Maybe it wasn't the right timing to tell Layla…_

It had been two weeks since Flora told Layla the truth. When she did, she felt like a weight coming out of her shoulders, but 2 weeks later, her pain was getting worse.

She felt so empty at this moment. One year, already. She missed him, more than words could ever explain. A part of her life was gone and was never going to come back.

She wanted to see him again. One last time. To tell him how much she missed him, to tell him how much she needed his presence, to tell him how much she loved him. She wanted to apologize for everything. But that was never going to happen.

She shouldn't be thinking about it. It wasn't going to help her recover after all…

Letting out a deep sigh, she placed the ring on her finger again, said a small goodnight to her roommate before remembering she wasn't there after losing her bet with Stella –much to the girls' surprise- and going out with Nex, and turned her table lamp off. Lying on her bed, she closed her eyes, trying to enter the world of sleep, until she felt weights on her bed, and someone shook her like a tree.

"Flora!" Someone loudly whispered. He heart was beating so fast that it threatened to get out of her chest, until she remembered whose voice it was

"What are you doing here, **Colin**?" She scolded him while turning her lights on again, obviously angry at her brother. Looking behind him, she also saw her own pink-haired best friend Felicia, standing sitting on her bed next to Lorelei, her adoptive little sister. "What's going on?"

"Some stuff to resolve before going on a mission…" Colin muttered, rubbing his hand on his thorny brown hair, obviously feeling uneasy -it was the way he showed it each time he felt this way since they were kids- . "Listen, what we have to tell you is really important."

"It's 3 a.m. and you sneaked in my bedroom, so, I hope it is."

"At first, we wanted to scold you for going away without telling us, but Felicia is going to do this for me while I'm gone. But I have to go now, so, just promise me something."

"What?" Flora raised an eyebrow.

"You won't go to the Pixie Village until I tell you. Okay?"

"What do you mean?"

"Felicia will explain, I really have to go. Please, promise me!"

"I promise…" Flora hesitantly replied, unsure on what to understand behind these words.

"Good." Colin said while standing up and running towards the window. He passed in front of Felicia and Flora clearly heard him whispering a simple "take care of her."

After he jumped out of by the window, Flora stood up and tried to analyse what her brother just said… but Felicia didn't let her the time to do so.

"Flora!" She happily exclaimed while hugging her. "We missed you so much!"

The little girl did the same and jumped on her. "Why did you go away, sis'? We missed you!"

"I missed you too…" Flora murmured. She was not sure on what to say. She was scared of hurting them by telling them a wrong thing.

"Why did you go without telling us?" Felicia asked while taking her face on her hands. "We're your friends!"

"I'm sorry Felicia." Flora sighed while leaning back (even if Lorelei didn't let her go). "I thought you weren't going to let me go."

"Of course we would have!" Felicia replied. "We understood how you felt; we wouldn't have done something to make you feel ever worse!"

The brunette didn't reply, and instead looked at the blue-haired girl still holding her; it was obvious she was crying. This made her feel bad; she didn't know her departure would have affected her so much…

"Hey, Lorelei…"

"I hate you!" She replied while looking up at her. "I thought you loved us!"

"Of course I do, sweetie." Flora raised her eyebrows. "I was depressed, I needed to change air. It was not because of you."

"But why didn't you tell us you were going?"

"Lorelei, it's a grown-up thing." Felicia said. "You are too small to understand."

"Who are you calling small, "Mrs 5'2"?"

"Hey, I don't allow you!"

"Oh yeah?"

Flora giggled, before bursting out laughing. It was at this moment she understood how much she had missed them; these two were sisters, and were always fighting like this, and each time, Flora laughed. They were a lot of fun.

"Sooooo." Flora exclaimed, hoping she would stop them from glaring at each other. "What did Colin meant?"

"Well…" Felicia said while rubbing her forehead, obviously feeling uneasy. "I'll tell you. But, first. Lorelei, go out."

"Why?!" Lorelei jumped on her feet. "I want to know!"

"Go out. There is a sofa next door. Go there."

"You're not funny, Fily." The little girl however did as told, crossing her arms, obviously sulking.

Once the door was closed, Felicia sighed. "It's very hard to tell."

"Why?" Flora was growing suspicious. She walked towards her door and grabbed a blue robe she quickly put on. "Is it so serious?"

"Yes, you can't imagine." The pink-haired sighed. She stood up and took her friend's hands on hers "Listen, Flo', we've been best friends since childhood, and that's why I'm scared of telling you, but…"

"Just tell me, Fily." Flora said. "I promise I won't get mad."

Felicia stared at her a few moments, before taking a deep breathe. She invited Flora to sit, as they did.

"Flora, I'm really sorry. We learned it not long ago, and Colin didn't want you to get involved in it again."

"Again? Involved in what?" Flora arched her eyebrows. Her friend looked up, clearly feeling uneasy by what she was hiding to her. "Felicia, what's going on?"

Felicia quickly licked her lips staring at the ceiling, before blowing it all out. "Flora, the Black Rose Group. They are back."

This sentence was received like a slap by the nature fairy. Flora felt like she couldn't move, like she couldn't breathe anymore.

"Flora?" Felicia asked, making Flora realize she hadn't move an eyelash since a few moments.

"H-How can it be? I- I thought I destroyed them!"

"We thought it too." Felicia sighed. "They were hiding on a cavern all this time. They couldn't get out; they didn't have powers."

"B-But-"

"Listen Flo', they are still weak, and Colin went with Arthur and Orlando to see what they're planning."

"T-They took away my everything, Felicia!" Flora stood up, her eyes hurting because of how much she tried not to cry. "How can I stay here without reacting after learning they're still alive?!"

"Flora, you have to stay calm!" The pink-haired took her shoulders and made her sit again. "You defeated them with one shot, they lost their powers and were obliged to remain on a cavern. If Veronica sees you, she won't hesitate killing you."

"She killed him!" Flora wiped her tears away angrily. "She killed my reason to live!"

"Flora, I swear I understand how you feel, but you have to stay calm! That won't give you anything to get revenge, you know it!"

"B-But what do you want me to do, now?" Flora almost yelled. "To stay here knowing my brother is going to be near them?"

"You have to trust him, Flora. You know Colin is strong."

"I can't…" Flora buried her head on her hands. "I can't let them take away anyone else I love because of me! I won't take it anymore!"

"Don't speak like this." Felicia wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Colin is strong. And Heli- _His_ death wasn't your fault." She didn't dare saying his name; she knew it would only hurt her friend more.

"It was. If I hadn't been so weak-"

"You weren't weak."

"I was. If I didn't lose, he wouldn't have been-"

"Flora, what's going on?" Someone said while opening the door, cutting Flora on her sentence. "There's a little girl sleeping on the sofa!"

"Yes, this is her sister, Lorelei." Flora said after wiping the remainder of her tears and standing up. "Layla, this is Felicia, my friend I told you about the other day. She and Lorelei will stay with us a few days, if you don't mind. They have nowhere to stay except here for the vacations."

"No, it's a pleasure to have her here." The princess smiled while putting her coat on a chair next to her desk. "I'm glad to meet you, Felicia. Flora told me a lot about you."

"The pleasure is all mine, princess." Felicia replied while bowing.

"Not "princess", just Layla, please." She smiled. While Layla turned around to take something on her closet, Flora whispered to Felicia "don't tell her anything about what happened tonight", to which the pink-haired nodded.

Flora smiled back. "So, how was your date with Nex after all?" She asked, sitting back on the bed next to Felicia. Layla was smiling brightly and laughed a little when Flora asked this. "You look quite happy."

"Well, you know…" Layla started, rubbing the back of her neck with her hand. "On the outside, he can seem arrogant and everything, but when you take a look at the submerged base of the iceberg, he is quite… you know, nice, funny and… likable." She hesitated and even blushed after saying the last word.

Flora smiled again. "Well, loosing this bet wasn't so bad, after all."

"Yes, that's true."

Flora felt Felicia staring at her with a concerned look. She coughed, before standing up again.

"Hey, it's almost 4. We should be sleeping! We have classes tomorrow." Flora said, taking a cover on her cupboard and went on the next room to place it over Lorelei.

"Flora, we're on vacations…" Layla whispered once her friend was out of sight. She decided not to pay intention and took her pyjamas on her closet, before handing Felicia a blanket for her to sleep under.

 _How can I tell her Helia is on their side, now?_ Felicia sighed, going out of the room to sleep next to the sofa after thanking the princess.

* * *

"You're going out with Nex again?" Flora asked, putting down the book she was currently reading to look at Layla who was tying her necklace.

Three days had spent since Felicia and Lorelei arrived at Alfea to watch after Flora –the two girls being on Alfea's garden-. And it was the third time Layla was going out to see Nex. She was waiting for him to take her to the dance club; the place they had their first date.

From what Layla told her, Nex was a very good dancer. It was something they both had in common; and Flora knew this was going to bring them closer and closer.

"Well, I'm glad everything went well between you two."

"Thank you." Layla smiled. "You know… It's been so long since I felt like this."

"So, it has been a long time since you dressed up so well?" Flora asked, looking at what her friend was wearing. Her wavy hair was tied in a low bun; she was at this moment putting elegant black clothes, with a three pearls necklace.

"Do you think it's too much?" Layla asked while sitting next to Flora on her bed.

"No, you look very pretty." The brunette replied with a smile. "And I'm sure he will think the same."

"You think?"

"Layla, you're beautiful, kind, and it's the third time he asks you out in one week. Don't you think he sees in you more than a dance partner?"

"I hope so." Layla sighed, before blushing after understanding what she just said, making Flora giggle. Just when Layla tried to reply, someone knocked at the door. Nex entered, smiling brightly.

"Hey Layla. Are you ready?" The young man asked while Layla stood up, nodding.

"You look beautiful." He exclaimed while looking at her from top to toes.

"Thanks." Layla blushed. Obviously trying to change subject, she turned to her friend. "See you later, Flora."

Then, Nex seemed to remember something.

"Oh, Flora, I almost forgot…" Nex asked while looking at the princess's friend, rubbing the back of his head with his hand. "Well, Saladin told me if I saw you to tell you that he wanted to see you as soon as possible."

"Did he tell you why?" Flora asked, closing her book. The specialist shook his head.

"He just told me it was important."

 _That's not good._ "Thanks, Nex. I'll go now." She smiled while standing up, grabbing a pair of ankle-boots on her cupboard.

* * *

"Hey, where are you going, Flo'?" Felicia looked up when she noticed her friend's gait in front of her. She was sitting under a tree reading a book, Lorelei lying on her back on the snow next to her, obviously sleeping.

"Apparently, Saladin wants to see me." The brunette replied, stopping in front of her. "Nex told me it was important."

"Do you want us to go with you?" Felicia asked. "We're supposed to keep an eye on you."

"Don't worry; I'm not running away Fily. I'm just going to Red Fountain." Flora smiled.

"Well, if you're not back in 3 hours-"

"You'll search for me, no problems." The brunette said, raising her hands up. "See you!" Flora didn't let her time to reply, she was already gone.

* * *

Flora arrived in front of Saladin's office several minutes later. Throughout her way, she had been praying he wasn't going to tell her another bad news. She already had her quota for the rest of her life after Felicia told her about their enemies...

 _Please, let it be good news… Please…_

Trying not to think about it, she breathed deeply before lifting her hand up; she knocked at the door before opening it. Looking at the whole room, she was more than astonished to see Saladin was not alone, but accompanied by… Aniello and Maia!

Never had her heart beaten so fast. What was she going to tell them? What was she supposed to do at this moment? Greet them formally? Or as if they were her friends, just like before? Should she run away? After all, didn't they hate her so much that they didn't want to see her anymore? That was what she had thought during the last year!

Much to her surprise, Maia stood up from her chair at the moment she saw the brunette entering, opening her arms to greet her with an embrace. Flora remained frozen for a few moments, before returning the hug.

The Queen of Linfea had always been someone nice and warm, just like her husbad. They both had welcomed her as a member of their family the moment she was introduced to them, and they told her to treat them as if they were from the same family. Flora thought she and her husband had hated her after _this_ event…

Leaning back, Maia took the brunette's face on her hands "How are you, darling?"

Flora looked down after a few moments of looking on the Queen's dark blue eyes, trying not to stutter while giving her answer. "I-I'm okay, I-I think..."

Maia took her hand, leading her towards Saladin's desk. "Listen sweetheart, we have something to tell you. And it's not good news."

It was not good news, and Aniello and Maia came from Linfea to tell her what it was. "Is it about… The Black Rose Group?"

Aniello nodded, it was obvious he felt surprised. "Y-You heard about it?"

"Yes, a friend of mine told me they are still alive..."

"Is that all what your friend told you?" Saladin asked, making Flora nod. "If that's so, there's something you don't know…" He said, rubbing his hands together. The brunette knew she wasn't going to like what the headmaster was going to tell her.

Maia took her by the shoulders. "You should sit, darling."

Flora did as she was told. "What is going on?"

"Well…" Saladin said, turning one of his thumbs around the other. "We know you won't take it well, but you have to trust us."

Flora looked around her. Felicia acted the same way when she told her about their enemies being back three days before. What could be as hard to tell as that?

"What happened?"

Saladin looked down on his desk –certainly knowing he couldn't hide this to her for long-, before telling her all. All of this embarrassment and uneasiness was summed up in one sentence composed of 4 words.

"Helia. He is alive."

* * *

 **I know it isn't the most interesting chapter of the fanfic, but I hope you still liked it, even if it took me several months to post it.**

 **I also know that maybe some people won't like the chapter because Layla likes Nex. I'm going to tell you: LaylaxNabu is my second favorite couple after FloraxHelia, and I would have loved Nabu to come back more than have a love triangle between Layla, Roy and Nex.**

 **But I don't understand the Nex hate. I mean, what is so horrible about him? In season 6 he was difficult to be liked, I agree, I told it in author notes when I was watching season 6, but he changed in season 7, and he has a lot of common points with Layla, and it's obvious that he truly care about her. I prefered NabuxLayla, really, but I added the Nex and Layla part because I like Nex as a character.  
**

 **Reviews? :D**


	8. Chapter 8

**_I'm sorry for the -again- long waiting for this new chapter. And thanks for your reviews!_**

 ** _Chapter 8_**

"Helia. He is alive."

This time, Flora felt like her heart had stopped beating. As if something was strangling her, preventing her from breathing. She couldn't have heard well.

"S-sorry?"

Saladin breathed deeply and didn't look at her in the eyes. "Helia is alive."

Flora nervously laughed after staring at the headmaster for a few moments. "T-that's not funny, you know?"

"It's the truth, dear. Look at this." The King said, handing the picture he previously looked at with Saladin.

Saladin was at this moment looking away from her. "You know who they are, right…"

Flora's fingers started trembling; his hair, his skin, his eyes. This man looked exactly like Helia. The person at his right was seen from the back, and she clearly recognized the emblem which always haunted her dreams.

 _The Black Rose Group._

No. This man wasn't Helia. It couldn't be. Why would he be with them? With the ones who killed him? Why would he turn against her, against all their friends, against his own lovely family?

"Why did you jump on conclusions like this? I-it can be someone looking like him!"

Aniello shook his head. "We went to his tomb yesterday. It was empty." He then sighed before pointing something on the photography. "Look at the scar on his neck. It was the one Veronica did to him."

Flora gasped. "N-no it can't be…" Her eyes started to hurt again. "H-He was dead! He wasn't breathing!"

She remembered this moment in all its details. His eyes which didn't see anymore, his opened mouth which didn't let him breathe, his skin growing paler and paler as life leaved him after this fatal wound Veronica inflicted him.

"A-and after all, how could he be alive?"

"They used this item which gave their group's name. A black rose." Saladin started explaining. "Veronica… you know she's the witch of nature. You and Veronica don't have the same abilities: a fairy of nature like you can only give life to plants. It's the only way you can "manipulate" life. But Veronica knew about the black rose, the rose of darkness. If she took away the rose's life and gave it to someone who is already dead, he will be brought back to life, and the witch will be able to manipulate his memories." Saladin looked at the fairy's face; she was as pale as a ghost, trembling, her sparkling eyes wide opened. He felt guilty telling her everything like this… but did he have another choice?

"That's what I taught you with Faragonda years ago, do you remember?" He asked with a softer voice, afraid he would see her cry.

Of course she did remember. But, all of this still didn't make sense. After all…

"W-Why Helia? He was their enemy too!"

"You're the one who beat them all. Using Helia would be a way of getting revenge, not only on us –his family-, but on you too."

It was too much. Helia wasn't alive. She had tried to get used to this idea during this whole year, that the man who meant everything to her wouldn't be there anymore, and at this moment, they were bringing all of these hurtful memories to her. What was the purpose of all this? Was all of this going to leave her alone one day?

"N-No! It has no sense!" Flora yelled while standing up. "Helia can't be alive!" She then turned around and got out of the room, slamming the door behind her.

"Flora, wait!" Maia tried to stop her, but was stopped by her husband who brought her into an embrace.

"No." He whispered. "I think she needs to be alone right now."

"Mmm." Maia sighed, a tear rolling over her cheek while Saladin rubbed his eyes.

Aniello turned to his father-in-law. "Is there a way to break the spell Veronica casted on our son? To bring him back the way he was before?"

Saladin stood up and looked throught his window. "There is. But..."

"But?" Maia asked, wiping her tears away with the back of her pale hand.

"If Veronica made him hate Flora, I fear this will never work."

* * *

 _I saw him dead! I saw him dead! He died in my arms! He died, he can't be alive!_

Flora angrily wiped away her tears as she walked on the forest.

During the whole last year, she had tried her best to erase this memory from her mind. She had felt relieve to know Aniello and Maia weren't mad at her, and she couldn't be angry at them but… at this moment, she couldn't think other way.

This man on the photography wasn't Helia. He couldn't be him. Helia was dead! And he would never ally with their enemies! He would never…

But she remembered. She remembered that his death was her fault. If she hadn't been weak…

If she hadn't been so weak…

If she hadn't been so weak…

Flora stopped running and let herself fall under a tree, her breathe taken away.

No, everything they said made sense. She was entirely responsible for his death despite everyone telling her otherwise. Helia wouldn't be dead if she had been stronger. If she hadn't lost against Veronica, he would never have been killed. After all, she was the one Veronica was after, not Helia.

And he might have been thinking the same way.

What she was told actually made sense.

 _Helia… I want to see you…_

And did Colin and Felicia know about this too? Was this the reason why her brother forbade her from going to the Pixie Village? Did they hide all of this from her all this time?

Did they do this to protect her from his anger towards her? To protect her from him?

Did he really hate her?

 _I want to see you so much, Helia…_

* * *

"Flora!" Felicia smilingly greeted her as she saw her friend coming back at Alfea. "We were about to check on you!"

The brunette didn't reply as she passed in front of her, looking right in front of her without turning her head towards the pink-haired.

"Flora? What's wrong?" She asked again, still earning no replies as Flora walked to her room and locked herself inside, letting herself fall on her bed as she buried her face on the white pillow.

She couldn't do otherwise. She was only thinking about him.

 _Helia..._

* * *

" _My dear son; I now proclaim you, crowned prince of Linfea!"_

 _And, with that said, Helia's father, the King of Linfea, slowly put the crown on his son's head, looking at him with so much pride on his eyes. Helia stood up slowly and turned around, looking at the crowd._

" _Long live the Prince!" A woman screamed. He recognized whose voice it was.  
_

" _Long live the Prince!" Everyone repeated in unison._

 _There were so much people on the crowd; they all were smiling and applauding, they were all worth looking at. But there was someone. Someone in the front row, who was looking at him with her emerald eyes shining like the most precious pair of diamonds, she was smiling so brightly, and she was, like all his friends, looking at him with so much pride. This person was meaning so much for him, so much that she was the only person he could look at on this crowd filled with hundreds of people._

 _His princess._

 _They both stared in each other's eyes for what seemed like years, unable to look away, wider smiles appearing on their two faces.  
_

 _She looked happy. And he was too. Each time he saw her, he was filled with happiness and love.  
_

 _The ball started. The violinists were already playing soft music, and several couple of dancers were already on the dance floor, waltzing. The King and the Queen were sitting on their respective thrones, their golden crowns placed upon their heads, smiling while looking at all the dancers before them._

 _Helia scanned the rest of the room with his eyes; he saw her, bowing in front of a brown-haired princess._

 _Gathering all his courage, he went to her –he was supposed to dance this night after all-. Bowing in front of her with a smile planted on the lips, he showed her his hand and asked her "May I have this dance?"_

 _To which she replied with a brighter smile than the one she already had, placing her own hand on his, murmuring an "I'd be enchanted."_

 _He didn't know how many people had been watching at them during the dance; he had been hypnotized too much by her look to notice all the other people around them._

 _But the only thing he needed at this moment was to be with her and her only, despite all the people on the ball hall who came there only to see him. At this moment, he wanted to be with her, alone._

 _That was why Helia lead her in the royal garden._

 _More than anything he needed to spend time with her._

" _Sooooo… How it is being the crowned prince of Linfea?" She asked when they both were sitting on a bench, holding hands._

" _I'll be wearing a heavier crown during the receptions."_

 _She laughed. "Hey, there must be advantages!"_

" _What kind of advantages?"_

" _Like…" She smirked. "Having the most proud of the fiancées?"_

" _Is that an advantage?" He smirked back._

" _It depends on how much you love your fiancée."_

" _I tend to say that she worthies more to me than my heavy crown."_

" _Then that's an advantage."_

 _Helia laughed. "Another example?"_

" _That's yours to decide."_

 _Helia laughed softly another time. "You know…" He started after a small pause, looking down at the grass before them. "As long as I can be with you…" He wrapped his second arm around her waist, bringing her closer to him. He rested his head on her shoulder. "…I don't need anything else." He whispered._

" _You've never been so kind with me on only one night. What's wrong?" She teased him with a smile, burying her free hand on his silky hair.  
_

" _I just want you to remember how important you are to me." He replied, stealing a small kiss on her neck. "And I want you to know that even if I'm one day going to be King of Linfea, nothing will change between us."_

 _She sighed. "Helia-"_

" _Until one day." He smiled, cutting her off before she could even form a sentence. Gathering all his courage -because he feared what he was about to say would be ruining their relationship-, he stared. "You and I, we've been together for years now… And I want you to be Queen of Linfea and reign with me when the right time will come."_

" _What?" He clearly saw her eyes widening, and his heart started beating faster and faster each second._

 _He knew her well. He knew that she never wanted to be Queen. They had already talked about it. He knew she was afraid of doing a mistake and leading the entire planet to its destruction. But he also knew how pure and good her heart was, and he knew she would be the most wonderful Queen the whole planet would ever have had if they got married._

 _Helia took both her hands on his and stared right on her eyes. "Love, I know you don't want to become Queen, and I know perfectly why. When we got engaged, I thought I would be running away with you if you still thought the same. But now that I'm crowned prince of Linfea-"_

" _-you can't deny your loyalty to your people anymore." She ended her sentence, sighing._

" _But I don't want to be apart from you. I already told you. You mean more to be than my royalty." He tightened his grip on one of her hands and tilted her chin up with his other hand so they could look in each other's eyes. "You are the most important part of my life."_

" _I know." She smiled. "And you are so important for me too." She smiled, taking his face on her hands and leaning down to kiss his lips. "And if being Queen is the only way to spend the rest of my life with you… then I'll accept it." She rubbed her hand on his cheek, as they leaned their foreheads' against each other's._ _"No matter how hard it will be."_

 _At this moment, Helia felt in heaven. She was not going to leave him. No matter if he became King or if he gave up his titles, she would stay with him. He smiled brightly._

" _I love you." He whispered, his lips moving towards her forehead, tracing a line of kisses all over her face before finding their way back on her neck. "More than I have ever loved somebody or something in my entire life."_

" _I love you." She whispered back, capturing his lips for another kiss. She leaned back, looking at him with this pair of eyes that always had the gift to make him melt. "You mean everything to me."_

Helia opened his eyes, looking at the rock ceiling above him.

He had made this dream again. It was the third time this week.

 _Who is she?_

She must have been very important to him. She was the only person he dreamt of since Veronica brought him back to their hiding place; he didn't know her name, he didn't know how he met her, but…

Why didn't Veronica talk to him about her? After all, she told him about his whole life, about everyone he once knew but her. And if he only thought about her, it was certainly because of something.

As he sat up on his bed, the red-eyed girl entered the room, smiling. "Did you sleep well?"

Helia nodded, without replying. She obviouly noticed he was nervous, because instead of going out of the room to talk with Ivan and Ares like she used to do every day, she sat on the chair next to the table. "What's wrong?"

Helia was still looking down, trying not to think of the unamed brunette haunting his mind. "I-I made a dream."

"Really?"

"I had dream about a … girl. I'm sure I know her but I don't know who she is anymore…" Veronica raised an eyebrow, and Helia could swear she tensed when the word _"girl"_ escaped his mouth.

They remained a few moments in a total silence -except for everyone talking they heard throught the opened door.-

"Brown haired with emerald eyes?" Veronica eventually asked. Helia nodded. So, Veronica knew her after all.

"Who is she?"

Veronica sighed, before intertwining her right hand's fingers with her left hand's ones on the table. "Well… I wanted to hide her from you."

"Why?"

"Because she betrayed you in the worst way that could ever exist."

* * *

 **I hope you liked this chapter! I really had hard time writting it, mostly the beggining! And the romantic flash back wasn't suppose to take place in this chapter, but I decided to put it in this one so... You'll understand later, towards chapter 12 or 13. ^^**

 **Reviews? :D**


	9. Chapter 9

_**Well... I truly apologize for the wait for this chapter. Really, really... T**_ _ **here was the author block. I wrote a lot of stuff for this story, but I had hard time writing a full chapter. Moreover,**_ _ **I was into studdying, and it was really hard, and this year is harder than the previous one. But I finally managed to do something, and I hope it'll be worth your wait. I think that the wait will not last so long anymore, because half of the two next chapters are written, and I know exactly how this story will end.**_

 _ **I'd also like to thank all those who followed and commented this story while I was away, and I apologize another time towards those who patiently waited for a new chapter. I really hope this chapter won't be a disapointment.  
**_

* * *

 _ **Chapter 9  
**_

 _Helia._

Flora sighed as she stood up, walking towards the washbasin. It was already 10 a.m.… and she wasn't dressed up. Opening the tap, she placed her hands under the falling water and threw it on her face, hoping it would help her waking up and thinking other way.

And it didn't.

Cold water drops fell under her pyjama shirt, giving her shivers. But she didn't care.

 _Helia._

She could only think about him. _He was alive_.

When she had come back to Alfea after talking with Saladin, Aniello and Maia 5 days earlier, she had locked herself in her room. Felicia had followed her and had asked her through the door _"What's wrong?"_

Flora hadn't replied, and Felicia had needed to ask her three times to earn an answer. Her answer had been another question: _"Is that true?"_

Felicia had asked her, with curiousness and shock in her voice " _Is what true?"_

" _Helia."_ Flora had replied, and she clearly heard Felicia gasp. _"Is he alive?"_

After this, it had been Felicia's turn not to reply. Flora had heard her friend sitting next to the door. _"Flora, open the door."_

" _Is that true?"_ Flora had asked again, without opening the door.

" _We didn't want you to know before we were sure it was him."_

" _And is it him?"_

Felicia did not reply this time; and this silence was her answer. Helia was alive. Flora had rubbed her face with her hands. _"Does he hate me?"_

" _He cannot hate you, Flora."_

" _But then, why would he be with them?"_

" _Flora. No one knows, but one thing is sure of… He can't hate you."_

" _Tell me the truth, Felicia. Please. For once, I need the truth."_

" _Flora. Listen to me."_ She had heard her friend leaning her back on the door. _"Colin found their hiding place. He will try to find him."_

" _He died because of me, Felicia."_ Flora had told. _"He hates me. I'm sure of this."_

" _You meant everything to him, just like he meant everything to you. Maybe the Witch casted a spell on him, but he will remember you."_ Felicia had told, and Flora knew she had laid her head against the door. _"I am sure of this."_

Two days later, Layla had come back from her trip to Andros with Nex –who'd apparently become more than just a date- and had seen all girls present of the dormitory being sad; Felicia, Lorelei… and Flora. She quickly had understood that it concerned the Black Rose Group, and had asked Flora, who had been wearing the same pyjamas for 3 days, what was going on. Flora had told her the whole story, in its entirety. Layla was surprised she didn't have to insist on asking to earn such an answer. But what had been the most shocking was her friend's reaction: her voice tone and her face expression had seemed so indifferent, so lifeless, her eyes were empty, her body was motionless; it was so far from the Flora Layla knew and had become close friend with.

Despite her reaction and what seemed like indifference, deeply inside of her being, Flora felt _guilty;_ none of her friends deserved to be sad, and _certainly_ not because of her. But she couldn't do otherwise; she was so sad that doing anything was hard. She was caught into a sort of vicious circle, where she was sad and was making her friends even sadder because her sadness couldn't help her comforting them. And all of this was hard for Flora.

The brunette sat on the edge of her bed, staring at the floor before her. Flora wanted to believe her best friend's words, but couldn't manage to do so. Never would Helia side with his enemies… if it wasn't out of hatred.

 _Helia hated her._

Flora buried her face into her hands, her elbow on her tights, trying not to cry. She couldn't believe something like this would happen. Her Helia, her everything, her life, had sided with their enemies. She couldn't believe her life had become such a nightmare…

 _Flora was lying on her back on the grass, staring at the infinite sky above her, above the whole world and the whole universe. She and her fiancé were lying in the middle of a very vast forest where they had always enjoyed spending time together._

" _Are you going to do something one day?" Helia sarcastically asked. Knowing him so well, Flora knew he was mocking her._

" _Look who's talking." She replied with a smirk._

" _Being prince is hard." Flora shifted from her back to her side to admire Helia's handsome figure, lying beside her. "Of course." The wind was transporting their hair up and down; but since the sun was burning, it was more than welcomed. Helia's arms were crossed behind his head, his eyes were closed, and it looked like he was on the edge of yawning and falling asleep. For some, this would be an immature, lazy and repulsive behaviour, but for Flora, these were the most funny and attractive features when it came to him. When they were together, in this forest, he was not the serious and professional Helia he was in front of a crowd; he was just a young, funny and normal man wearing a white shirt and a pair of black jeans. And Helia was the most lovable of them all, according to Flora._

" _Shut up." Helia whispered with a smile as he opened his eyes again and kissed her forehead tenderly. "Soon, you'll see how it feels; to finally be able to spend time alone with the person you love the most in the universe."_

" _You're right… I'm happy to be with you right now, enjoying your presence as Helia, and not as "Sire"." Flora sighed with a smile as she placed her face on the crook of his neck, and placed a hand against his chest. It felt so warm, so comfortable that any desire to move was removed from her being. Helia placed his hand on the back of her head and roamed his hand all over her hair._

" _But they are not so different. Are they?"_

" _I love them both, to the same extent." Flora placed a soft kiss on his neck. "When do you have to go back to the castle?" Flora asked, scared of what his answer would be. The last thing she wanted at this moment was him to go back to the castle._

" _I don't care if they wait for me there." He kissed her forehead a second time, having a giggling Flora as an answer. "I want to stay with you."_

" _Even if guards arrest us?"_

 _Helia giggled as he dropped a soft kiss on her lips. "Even if guards arrest us." He grabbed her right hand and used his thumb to rub her finger surrounded by this so-meaningful ring which was going to lead them to a life together._

" _One week left…" Helia sighed, looking down at his fiancé with a smile. "And we'll finally be allowed to be together." He kissed her hand. "I can't wait."_

" _Helia?"_

" _Yeah?"_

" _Can I ask you something?"_

" _No." Helia smiled at his own unfunny joke. "What do you want?"_

 _Flora smirked. She already knew he wouldn't refuse to do what she wanted him to._ " _Kiss me."_

 _Helia smiled, and pushed her on her back to seal their lips in a deep kiss. It started as soft, but then turned into a passionate one where the two of them were hugging so tightly and strongly that it was hard to believe they would part one day. Their lips were battling for any kind of domination, their eyes were closed, and their bodies were pressed against each other's as the wind softly caressed their skins._

 _She returned the kiss with so much force that she thought their lips would be bruised. But she didn't care; when she was with Helia, nothing mattered. And within one week… they would not have to hide their relationship anymore. And she couldn't wait. No matter if she was going to become royalty or not… she was going to live with Helia, and it was all what she needed to live. She needed Helia to live._

" _I love you so much, love." Helia whispered on her hear when her face came back on his neck again. Flora blushed at the nickname he always gave her; despite having heard it numerous times in ten years, she always felt shivers. "More than everything, more than my own life. No matter what happens in the future, I'll never stop loving you, Flora. I love you."_

" _Flora… Flora… Flora…!"_

The brunette opened her eyes, trying to adjust to the light someone had turned on inside her and Layla's room. The princess was there upon her, while Felicia was shaking her like a dead tree. The two girls seemed worried. _Very_ worried. Layla's eyes were wide open, and it seemed that she was panting, and Felicia didn't seem to feel better.

"Flo! Thank god you woke up!" Felicia exclaimed as the brunette sat up on her bed. Layla was sitting on the edge, while Felicia was leaning above her, holding her shoulders.

Why did they seem so scared… Did she faint in front of them?

"W-what time is it?"

"It's 4 p.m., but that's not the problem…"

"What's the problem…?"

"I-it's Colin… H-he's…"

* * *

"To the… The _Pixie Village_?" Helia tried to retell what Veronica had just announced him. "What for?"

"In order to give _him_ back to his friends." Veronica answered, pointing the poor brown and thorny-haired man tied up on the corner of the room; obviously in a very exhausted and injured state. "They'll be happy to see him again, I guess. After all, that's our duty, to have people being happy."

"Why tie him up, then, if you want to please his friends? Don't you think he's going to act violently if he wakes up and find out you treated him like this?"

Veronica froze, as her white bangs fell on her face again. This was getting annoying. She never thought an amnesiac person could be so logical. He was getting way too clever than she thought he would be, and it started to become threatening. She couldn't admit it in front of Ivan and Ares, but she stared to wonder if everything had been such a good idea…It was not the first time she wondered this. Each time she managed to answer his questions and have him believe what she said, but she couldn't deny she knew it was not going to last for long. He already started to remember the fairy, and it was already not good -hopefully she managed tip the scale in their favour-, but she feared he would get his memory fully back soon.

"He was found on our headquarters, we don't know what he wants." Veronica tried to justify; but she herself knew he might not buy this excuse so easily. "But like I said, it is our joy keeping people happy. We'll free him outside."

"You seem to know him…"

"Yeah." Veronica seemed to admit, but Helia noticed she felt uneasy. And it was not the first time she acted this way when she told him something about his past life…

"Who is he?"

At this moment, the lie would not have worked… the only solution left was the truth. "Your ex brother-in-law."

 _Oh_ … Helia thought as Veronica tried not to smirk. "H-her brother, right?"

"Yeah."

Helia looked at the young man tied up on the corner of the room; it was true that he looked like the woman – _Flora_ from what Veronica said- he dreamt of, with similar hair and skin colour.

"I have something to do. Keep an eye on him for me, I'll come back soon." Veronica said while going out, not without patting Helia's shoulder.

As she went away, Helia tried to clean up his thoughts. As much as time went by, Veronica was acting more and more strangely, and her answers were becoming more and more vague, and certainly more and more _illogical_. Of course she was his friend; they all were his best friends. Each time he needed answers, each time he wanted to be reminded of something, Veronica was always there, and he could never thank her enough for this, but at this time, he never received any answer anymore; even since she told him about his… _ex-fiancée?_

 _Flora_ , apparently, who used him to become a royalty and kill him after getting what she wanted.

" _She betrayed you in the worst way that could ever exist. When you two met at 19, with her parents being part of the royal Court, it became clear that all she wanted was power. We warned you hundreds of time that she was only playing with you, but you never listened. When you fell in love with her, she knew she already won. And when you proposed to her… victory was for her."_

" _So… did I found out about this?"_

" _We had warned you; but you never listened. You always said you trusted her with your life, and you did. When she told you there was a very rare rose blossoming on a cavern, she made the cavern collapse onto you to kill you. And she seemed very happy, when your parents declared she would be the next Queen of Linfea, because she was your fiancée."_

" _But… the other day, you said the rose was our quest."_

" _I told you. I didn't want to tell you about her. I did not want you to remember her."_

" _So… I guess I need to face her? For everything she has done to me?"_

" _Yes."_

"Don't believe her." A masculine voice told him; apparently the brother. "She's lying to you. They make everyone sad. They kill people and want power. That's their only goal."

"They saved my life. They all are my friends."

"They are _not_. They're playing with you in order to get revenge on us… on Flora. They don't care about you."

Helia gasped at the name… at his _ex_ - _fiancée's_ name. But she betrayed him… that was the reason why Veronica wanted to get revenge on her!

"She tried to kill me… that's why Veronica's angry at her."

"Betrayed? That's what she said to you?! Flora would _never_ betray nor kill you." Colin tried to stand up, but he seemed too weak to make a single move. "Can you imagine how she feels right now? She lost everything when _Veronica_ killed you."

" _Dors_ ". Veronica enchanted Colin to have him sleep.

"Don't listen to him." Veronica said, as she placed a hand on Helia's shoulder; the young man seemed so lost… as if he didn't know who to believe or not. It was not good… at all. "He's her brother, remember. He wants you to believe in her again. But he's lying. They are a family of liars Helia."

He nodded. He had to remember that _they_ saved him… and not Flora nor his brother.

"I'm coming with you."

"To the Pixie Village?" Veronica raised her eyebrows. "What for?"

"You told it to me… I have to face her for everything she has done to me… no?"

* * *

" _Fily, listen to me… I managed to enter the headquarters. Look._ –He filmed the whole room full of about fifty people -. _Helia is with the Witch and her henchmen, he seems lost, and it looks like he does not understand what he's there for. I cannot talk to him, that witch's keeping an eye on him too closely. For now I'll just come back and we'll discuss-"_

" _Hello, honey~"_

Veronica's face appeared on the video a few seconds before its end.

"Oh no…" Flora's eyes widened, she placed her hands in front of her mouth in shock, before she could realize what have happened. Firstly, Colin, her brother, had been kidnapped. Secondly, the black rose group she thought would be now composed of a dozen of members was actually composed of about fifty wizards. Thirdly, Veronica seemed to still be the leader of the group and…, she had taken Helia under her wing. And it was certainly the worst.

If Helia and Veronica became friends, it could only mean that she was right: Helia… Helia would certainly hate…

Flora gulped, trying to swallow her tears. It was not the time for crying… Her brother was in danger!

"Colin…"

Layla placed an arm around her friend's shoulders. "Don't worry Flo'; we'll save him."

"She's right." Felicia said. "We _will_ save him. I promise."

Flora closed her eyes; she felt she was going to cry again. Colin was in danger, and because of her once again. _Why am I such a burden to those I love?!_

"It is none of your fault, Flora!" Layla exclaimed, and Flora couldn't believe she had managed to read her thoughts.

"I-I… if it wasn't because of me, he wouldn't have gone there!" Flora was trembling like a dead leaf; she was so scared!

"Don't say stuff like this, Flo!" Felicia placed her arm around her best friend's shoulder. "All of this, none of this happened because of you. It is only _their_ fault."

Much to their surprise, the video started again after a long crackling.

 _Hello to all of you~!_

 _Veronica._ Flora clenched her fists as strongly as she did with her teeth. Never had she felt so angry, and had she been filled with so much hatred than at this moment. The brunette breathed deeply and tried as much as she could not to hit Veronica's reflection on the video. Layla noticed it and placed a hand on her shoulder, trying to calm her down.

 _It's been a long time, isn't it? Well, well, I missed you too. But that's not the point. Poor Colin was caught here, but do not worry, he's okay… for now. After all, he's our enemy, remember?_

She laughed evilly, and Flora's anger did not stop increasing. The witch was speaking in such an irritating and sarcastic tone that they all knew that what she was going to say would _not_ please them.

 _But as long as you do what we want, we won't harm him. I promise. What we want is just a little-small-tiny thing… We want an appointment at the Pixie Village, in three days, without any guard or security person. It is just for a reunion, between old friends. And we'll bring you a surprise~._

And the video ended. Flora wanted to scream, out of anger, out of hatred, out of sadness… _Why does life never stop hurting me?!_

"These bastards…!" Felicia said between her clenched teeth. "How can they…?"

"Oh no…" Layla whispered.

Flora did not reply. She just turned heels and went back into her room. The lifeless and sad expressions she wore on her face earlier were replaced by determination. She was not going to let another person she loved be hurt.

She was going to save Colin. No matter what.

 _It's time to meet again, Veronica._

* * *

 **Well? Did it worth your wait?  
**

 **Once again, I'm truly sorry about this blank year. I promise I'll do my best to update soon.**


	10. Chapter 10

_**Hello everyone! First of all, I'd like to thank everyone who reviewed the last chapter. I'm glad you liked it, and it's very pleasant to read your nice compliments.**_

 _ **At the end of the chapter, there is a reference to another chapter. I will give you the reference at the end. For now, I wish you a good reading!**_

 _ **Chapter 10**_

"You're going to the Pixie village?" Felicia asked Flora, who was putting her top on.

3 days had passed since Veronica's announcement. Flora had spent 2 days doing sports, in order to regain some of the suppleness she had lost during her year of depression.

"What do you want me to do?" The brunette replied without turning to her best friend. "Stay here while my brother is held captive and wait for him to be killed?"

"Remember: you promised Colin you wouldn't go there."

"I remember." Flora replied, still without looking at her friend.

"Flora, it's not safe-"

"And what do you want me to do?!" Flora stood up in one jump. "Stay here, knowing my brother is in danger, and feel guilty after learning what horrors had been done to him?!" When the brunette realized she had screamed, she apologized numerous times -despite Felicia telling her it was fine-, before sitting again, her face buried in her hands. "Listen, I-they took everything I had, Fily. I can't let them take away another person I love."

"Flo… I understand, you know it. But there's something you can't deny: we both know what's going to happen if Victoria sees you."

"I don't care if she sees me, Fily. We have matters to settle." Flora whispered. "I won't let her go so easily."

"Then… I'm coming too."

"Fily… it is not safe, you told it yourself." Flora stood up and walked towards her best friend. "Remember you can't transform anymore."

"I still can use magic… And I'm not going to let you go there on your own." Felicia took a few steps towards the brunette. Her face was only reflecting _determination_. She was determined to help her friend. "We don't know how many they're going to be. You'll need help."

"Fily, if something happens to any of you-"

"… you'll be here to help us." Felicia finished Flora's sentence -and certainly not in the way it was supposed to end- before going out of the room, not without adding "I'm not scared. I will help you, no matter what you say."

Flora sighed; as she sat down on her bed, she accidentally banged her hand on her night table. She rubbed her hand with the thumb of her other one, and took one last look at her engagement ring.

 _Helia…_

 _Oh god…_ She was so worried about her brother's safety that she forgot about … was Helia going to be brought there? Was she going to… to see him again?

Flora could not believe that her wish, the dream she made at night each time she fell asleep, was to come true… but not as true as she would have thought. She felt fear arising in her whole being. But this was not the fear she had expected to feel.

She was not scared by Veronica. She was scared by Helia.

More than everything she desired seeing Helia again… but more than everything was she also _afraid_ ; she knew he certainly hated her… but she was still scared of hearing these words coming out of his beautiful mouth.

 _I hate you._

If he was to say something like this… she did not want to hear it. She did not want to hear these three beautiful words, " _I love you_ ", he had kept repeating over and over to her, in so many intonations, in so many occasions, and that she loved to hear every time, replaced by three others. " _I hate you._ "

 _Helia..._

Layla entered the room, breaking her thoughts. Flora sighed, before letting her arms fall against her body. "Layla… you can't start to imagine how sorry I am for involving you into this."

The princess smiled at her. It was not a fake smile… It was a true, sincere and reassuring smile. "It's okay, don't worry."

Flora sighed. Layla was the best friend she could ever have asked for when she came to Alfea. She expected to meet new people, to make herself some friends, but she never thought of meeting someone as understanding, calm and nice as Layla, princess of Andros. Never would she be thankful enough towards Mrs Faragonda, the headmistress.

But Flora could never feel guiltier for involving her friends into this situation. Colin, Felicia, Layla… Her depression and her weakness had brought them all in such a dangerous situation. And since she couldn't have managed to prevent Felicia from coming with her… she couldn't let Layla come too.

 _She was such a horrible friend…_

"Can I ask you something?" Flora took a step closer towards the princess. "If Lorelei calls from her school to know where we are… tell her we are fine, okay?" She sighed. "This poor girl does not deserve to be worried."

"Actually… I wanted to come with you. You will need help."

"Layla-"

"I know you don't want me to but…" Layla sighed. "If something happens when I'm not with you, I'll feel so guilty. I'm your friend, and I want to help you."

"Layla, if you are injured or even worse, I'll never be able to forgive myself…"

"Nothing will happen to me, Flo. I promise." Layla grabbed her friend's hands. "If the same thing happened to me right now, you would help me. So, let me help you, the same way you would do for me. Please." Layla almost begged. Flora hugged her tighly; it was a thank you towards the princess, who had always been there to listen to her, and whom she had brought into her troubles.

 _I'm so sorry, girls... I won't let anyone harm neither of you two. I promise!  
_

* * *

"Why are you only 2?" Felicia muttered while Flora and Layla brought the sleeping Colin on a safe zone. "You're scared of all being arrested?"

After the three girls had reached the Pixie Village, while staying in alert, they had noticed that the Pixies were not there; apparently, they seemed to have fled before their arrival. They had waited around twenty to twenty five minutes before seeing three figures appearing in front of them; Ivan, Ares, and including the poor Colin tied up and asleep.

And much to their surprise, they had given them Colin back, not without throwing him on the ground, insinuating he was no threat to them. Flora and Layla had jumped towards the thorny-haired man to help him to his feet; but he was sleeping too hardly. That was why they decided to bring him to a safe zone and cutting the rope tying him up.

"Why would you think we would all show up?" Ares smirked. "We're not stupid. The two of us will be enough."

 _And Veronica is not here…_ Flora thought as she came back next to Felicia with Layla. _There is something wrong._

"Where is your commander?" The brunette bitterly asked while clenching her fists.

"She's not here." Ares replied, with a smirk. This was sure, they were plotting something. "But she asked us to take you down, Flo'."

"Don't call me like this!" Flora almost yelled at him. Only those she loved had the right to call her this way. And they were certainly _not_ her that being said, Ares used his telekinesic magic with his right hand to lift sharp rocks and send them towards the girls.

"Then we will have to take you down too!" Layla exclaimed as she crossed her arms above her head. "Magic Winx!"

Layla was surrounded by glitters and was turned into her fairy form, with her sparkling green top, skirt and boots. Flora thought she was very pretty; she was not used to see Layla wearing such colourful outfits, but this suited her very well.

"Stand back, girls!"

"Don't worry!" Flora called back. "I can transform too!"

With that being said, Flora jumped and was turned into her fairy form too… and Layla could not believe what she saw.

"Woaw!" The princess exclaimed as she saw as fairy dust fell from her friend's wings. "Y-You're an Enchantix fairy?!"

Flora nodded as she started flying into the sky to get a full view of the scene; Layla couldn't find words to describe how beautiful her friend looked; her wings, her dress… she was _gorgeous_.

"Felicia! Use your vines on his left side!"

"What?!"

"Do it! This is his weak spot!"

Felicia did as she was told without any question, and sent a blue vine of her own on Ivan's right side, while Flora placed her hands on the floor. As he tried to stop the vines by moving his right hand towards them, Flora used a spell to have the floor under his feet shattered and shook; he was so disturbed that he could not prevent the vines from flattening him on the floor.

"How did you know?" Layla asked as she landed next to Flora.

"When he uses his telekinetic spells, he does it with his right hand. Faragonda taught me that the weak spot of this magic was that when someone uses it, one of his side was vulnerable." Flora paused to look Ivan who was stuck on the floor, thanks to Layla's fluids. "If he could have used his left hand, the spell would not have worked."

Layla could not believe how strong and how much of a strategist Flora could be; the calm and sweet Flora she had become friend with was certainly one of the strongest people she had ever met on her entire life. Even the captain of Andros's army could not compete with her!

* * *

Helia reached the Pixies village after the three others. He took a whole look at the battlefield; he saw a fairy with dark skin and brown hair, with a green fairy form; next to a pink-haired one, who did not transform but who seemed to be able to use magic without doing it.

And she was here too. _Flora._ She was fighting against his friends, and had just won. Helia was about to help him, but Veronica's words came back on his mind. _"Do not get involved until I tell you."_

* * *

"I'll call for Linfea's army!" Felicia exclaimed after they managed to stick Ares on the floor too, thanks to Layla's magic fluids and Flora's own vines, while she opened her cell phone. Flora nodded, but Ares did not seem to fight back the fluids, nor did Ivan. The two were stuck on the ground and pretended to wriggle, but they were hiding something.

They had been defeated too easily.

"Wait a minute…!" Flora suddenly exclaimed as she watched a smirk drawing on Ivan's face. "I-I thought he had telepathy powers too! Why didn't he call anyone?!"

Felicia's eyes widened. Layla was quite lost –after all, she had never fought against the Black Rose Group before-, but her two friends seemed to have understood something, as Ivan started to laugh. "You really there were only the two of us here?"

Flora heard a giggle from behind her. A voice she never wanted to hear again. A voice she despised more than any other voice she could have heard on her life.

"Hello." Veronica whispered with her back laid on a tree. "Glad to see you in shape, dear."

"Veronica…" Flora muttered between clenched teeth, her anger rising again. These small red eyes under unfrowned eyebrow, this half smile/half smirk drawn onto her face, her relaxed and calm posture, the memories her presence brought to Flora… everything angered her to such a great extent, an anger she never thought she would feel with so much strength. She couldn't refrain.

She flew to her, ready to attack her.

* * *

 _Do not get involved until I tell you._

Helia clenched his fists. He wanted to get there and help his friends, but he couldn't…

 _Flora…_ Helia thought as he stood next to the battlefield; she was there too, fighting against Veronica. The fight between the two started with a battle of vines, but it didn't seem to work… that was why they chose to come to blows, with their arms and legs.

Flora was nothing like the one he remembered on his dreams. When he saw her on his flash-backs, he only saw a calm, smiling woman. Here, in reality, the woman who was flying and attacking his friends seemed to be an angry, furious, and thirsty of vengeance one.

 _But she's an Enchantix fairy…_ How? How could this be possible? An Enchantix fairy was supposed to be kind, altruist and unselfish; but there, she seemed to be the contrary. And this time, Veronica was not here to give him answers.

And even if he asked her, as usual, her answer would be illogical, or blurred, or maybe she wouldn't even answer his question and would change subject. But here, he had a way to know the truth. He wasn't going to ask Veronica.

No matter how much he was supposed to hate and despise her, and certainly no matter what Veronica would say, he was going to ask Flora.

* * *

"I did not kill him. You did. It was _your entire_ fault." Veronica muttered; hearing these words, Flora lost all her strength and fell slowly on the ground… her mind full of this moment. Her being almost beaten, Veronica ready to kill her…. And Helia getting in between, dying in her arms.

 _It was her fault._

"Poor sweet." Veronica giggled as she used her foot to flatten the fairy against the tree. Flora felt chocked by the impact and fell onto her knees with her arms crossed in front of her chest trying to cool down the burning pain she felt all over her stomach. But this was not the only part of her being hurting… she could almost feel her heart breaking, and all of its pieces slowly falling.

 _Helia…_

Veronica created a spine sword –thanks to her nature powers-. "I'd almost pity you."

Flora did not look up, these images stuck into her mind. She did not listen to her friends calling her name, trying to catch her intention; but she did not care.

 _Helia… I want to see you right now…_

* * *

Helia saw Veronica holding her sword up, ready to kill Flora.

 _No._ He felt scared, and even more than he could imagine. His heart started to beat faster and faster. Why Veronica would kill her?! Never had she talked about killing her… she always said she wanted to denounce her! Why was she being so cruel? This was not running smoothly.

He couldn't let his answers slip through his fingers. He couldn't let Veronica do this.

He couldn't let Flora die.

He had to save Flora to get his answers.

* * *

Much to her surprise, the blow did not come. She just heard a voice she never thought she would hear again. "Leave her to me."

 _This voice… this voice…_

Flora looked up and could not believe what she saw… _He_ was holding Veronica's wrist as the witch was about to give her the final blow.

"W-what are you doing here? I thought I told you-"

"I know." Helia replied as Veronica harshly extracted her wrist from his grasp. "But I need to talk to her."

"What for?" Veronica bitterly asked him.

"Go and free our friends. That's my business now."

Veronica clenched her teeth, but gave up –much to Flora's surprise- and ran towards Felicia and Layla. Flora wanted to stand up and help them, but Felicia seemed to have guessed what she was going to do and told her not to come in a scream before she made a single move.

The brunette's stare came back towards Helia. His expression was nothing like the one she had known from her lover, from the man who embodied everything to her. His so-mesmerizing blue eyes were darkened with hatred, his face was paler than in her memories; she couldn't believe how much he had changed.

And it was all her fault.

"Just stand up. Don't stay stuck on your knees." Helia told her as Flora could not make a simple move; she was staring at him so hardly that she did not even hear what he had just told her. Her eyes were burning her because of the tears filling them, her mouth was slightly opened but no sound nor word could get out. She was paralyzed.

"Don't you hear me? Stand up already!" Helia asked more roughly as the brunette could not hold on anymore. Tears cascaded out of her eyes as she tried to get steady onto her feet, her stomach heavily hurting. But her stomach was not the only part of her body hurting; her broken heart beating on her chest was way much painful.

"H-Helia… Is that you?"

"How did you manage to become an Enchantix fairy?" Helia asked, ignoring her question; despite the shock, Flora managed to realize there was no sign of sarcasm or mockery in his voice. This was a serious question; he was being serious.

He was _lost_.

"W-w-what?" Flora's eyes widened, as she did not try to hold back her tears in fear they would choke her.

 _Why is she crying…?_

"I just asked you. How did you become an Enchantix fairy?"

"I-I-I…" Flora could not form a proper sentence… God did she feel weak at that moment. "W-w-what…"

"You're supposed to be the one who killed me. How can someone like you be rewarded this way?!"

"H-Helia no…" Flora covered her mouth with her left hand and tried to grab his shoulder with her other one, but he moved back and avoided her hand. His face was expressionless, but Flora thought she had understood what feelings he was hiding… Anger and hatred. The brunette gasped and tried to calm down. Never had she felt so heartbroken in her life; he actually did hate her. And it destroyed her from inside.

She did not know what to do anymore. With Helia hating her, she couldn't do anything.

"L-l-listen… N-never would I have k-killed you… I-I love too much to harm y-you!"

"Love?" Helia frowned. "You loved my social status way more."

"W-w-what?" Flora's eyes widened. There, her heat skipped a beat; why the hell would he think she dated him for his royalty?! "N-No! H-Helia…I-You… You're my everything…"

"Really?" This time, he seemed to be sarcastic. "You wouldn't have tried to kill me if this was true…"

"I-She…" Flora gulped and tried to swallow her tears; but it was ineffective. "I-it was my fault b-but… I-I-it wasn't on purpose! I-I-I never did it… I never wanted y-you to interfere!"

"What do you mean "to interfere"?"

"H-Helia…" Flora tried to wipe her tears away, but it was useless since they were replaced by others. "W-what do y- _you_ remember?"

This time, it was Helia's turn not to reply. He seemed to be caught on the hop… After a dozen of seconds in which none of the two talked –silence filled with the sound of battles between the guards who had finally reached the deserted Pixie village and Veronica-, Flora took a small step towards him, but her heart was still filled with the fear that he would push her away if she came too close. That was why she stayed a few steps away from him. "W-what do you remember?"

"I…" Helia started; he wanted to say something, but he couldn't. Flora caught him; he remembered nothing except what Veronica told him about his past. But there were no pictures, no pictures… there were just words.

This was Flora's turn to be caught out of guard. _It can't be…_ And it seemed to be the case. Helia said they were his friends. Helia said she did not deserve her Enchantix form. Helia said she was the one who killed him. And he seemed to be sure of this.

What could have Veronica done to her Helia? There were two solutions: she may have brainwashed him … or he may have forgotten everything and Veronica told him lies. In both cases, the Witch might be manipulating him.

And Flora could not let her do that.

"Helia." This was the full word Flora had managed to pronounce without sobbing. "D-do you remember m-me?"

Helia stared at her for a moment. He was a head taller than her; but her neck did not seem to hurt her as she looked up at him. And she was still crying. No, it was nothing like what Veronica had told him about her.

No, he did not remember Flora.

"N-no. I don't."

"Helia." Flora said a second time, taking another step closer towards him. And this time, he did not push her away. He was ready to listen to her. "I-I don't know what t-to do right n-now. B-but you have to b-believe me. I love you. I love you more than everything." Flora vainly swallowed her tears once again.

Helia gasped. Unlike Veronica, unlike Ares, unlike Ivan… Flora did not seem to have reflected too much to give him her answer. It was the first time he felt being in front… of a _sincere_ person. She was crying in front of him, she seemed sincere, she seemed… nice?

 _Oh no…_

" _ **You fell heavily on a rock."**_

" _ **The cavern collapsed on you."***_

" _ **She made the cavern collapse on you."**_

Helia's eyes widened when he remembered what they had said to him… None of them had told her the same reason for his presumed death.

How did he not realize before they were contradicting themselves?

" _ **I did not want you to remember her."**_

Their lack of reaction. Their false expression. The fact they seemed to have predicted everything. Veronica's uneasiness and the vagueness of her answers when he asked something.

Flora's Enchantix. Her words. Her reaction. Her tears.

Everything made sense. How could have he been so blind to reality? His answer was in front of his eyes, right at this moment, and in shape of the fairy standing in front of her, crying rivers; he understood everything; he understood why she did not want him to remember Flora.

Flora was not the liar.

Veronica was.

* * *

 *** This is from chapter 6, towards the end, when Veronica and her henchmen told Helia about how he died. Maybe some of you thought it was a mistake and a incoherence when you read the chapter, but no, it was entirely voluntary!**

 **I hope you liked this chapter. The next chapter will be full of FloraxHelia, and those after... even more!**

 **See you soon!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Once again, I'd like to start by thanking EVERYONE who reviewed. I'm really pleased with your comments, you're all so kind!**

 **I want also to apologize, because this chapter is shorter than the others -well, it does not mean it is not full of events, _oh no_!-, but I'll explain why in the next chapter. For now, I wish you a good reading!**

 **Chapter 11**

Veronica was the liar. It was the only possibility left.

"W-who..."

Flora lifted her head up again to look at him. His eyes had darkened –maybe because he had lowered his head- but what surprised her most was the fact he was biting his lower lips in an embarrassed way.

"W-what?"

"W-Who is she?"

"Prince Helia?!" One of the guards exclaimed after he took a glance at the young man leaning on a tree, his glance turning into a shocked stare. Helia looked at him, but did not understand what was going on as he and other guards knelt in front of him, while their comrades took care of tying Veronica and her henchmen up with Felicia's and Layla's help –but still lowered their heads in respect-.

"Welcome back, prince Helia!"

"It's good to see you again, sire!"

"W-Who?" Helia asked as he looked at Flora with wide eyes; which squeezed the fairy's heart painfully. He was asking her through a shocked and desperate look; she couldn't help replying. "Your s-soldiers Helia. You are their Prince."

The three guards who had knelt stood up quickly to help Felicia, Layla and the others tying up Veronica with the new invention, anti-magic ropes, while the Witch and the two others tried for the first time to fight back. _They really did not have thought they could lose…_ Flora thought as she took a very short glance at them before turning back to Helia. He had one hand in front of his eyes, trying to avoid the sight of Veronica glaring at him. Flora wanted to slap her for that, for hurting Helia more than he was already hurt, but the nature fairy was well aware that Helia needed her more at this moment. His eyes widened noticeably and Flora could not hide her shock in front of such a situation.

"P-Prince? I-It was true?"

Flora could not say anything; she just weakly nodded with her head. She feared that he would break and start crying; and the result was way worse than she could have imagined: this only resulted on upsetting Helia even more. He did not know what to think… What was true? What was false? Was all he was told lies?

Helia fell onto his knees and grabbed his face between his hands, as Flora tried to catch him by his shoulders, but he was too heavy and failed; falling onto her knees next to him. "I-all-They… They all seem familiar but… I can't! I can't remember them! W-Who are they?!" Flora did not know what to do at first; but he made her feel so sorry that she had no other choices: she wrapped her arms lightly around his shoulders, and he -involontarily?- let his face fall under her neck; he needed to be comforted and not by words this time; Flora was so familiar and he felt so good with her: he needed her warmth. Flora blushed lightly –she had forgotten this feeling of having him so close to her for so long- and hesitantly placed one of her gloved hand behind his head. She was unsure on what to do… "D-did she only told me lies? W-What's the truth?!"

"Helia…"

"I-I… There's nothing! I can't remember!"

"Helia, please-"

"I-I even believed t-them… W-and-they kept lying to me! Or did t-they?"

Flora kept rubbing his head tenderly with her hand; his state saddened her. He looked so desperate, so upset, and so sad, that the pieces of her already broken heart shattered again.

"I-I… I can't-"

"Shhh… C-Calm down honey…"

Helia finally breathed deeply and tried to follow her advices, to take in this sweet nickname she gave him, but it only ended in him breathing her scent. She smelled like roses, but more like a flowerbed, a garden of roses only in her scent; he felt transported. And this also felt familiar… He knew he already had smelt this scent. And this time again… his answer was holding him in her arms.

 _Flora…_

The brunette was holding him with such tenderness, such gentleness that he couldn't push her away. He felt so comfortable in her arms. He lifted his look up and caught the fairy's gaze. She had such beautiful eyes… they were like a pair of emeralds sparkling, but they were wasted by her tears. She seemed to feel so sad, so destroyed… and no matter what, he started to feel guilty. His mind told him it was not his fault, but his heart told him to feel guilty… because she apparently was crying because of him.

Veronica had told him she did not care about him. And there she was, crying rivers, holding him and caressing his head with her tender hand, comforting him. This devastated him even more; he made this beautiful fairy cry, because of Veronica; because of what this Witch had told him. What she had told him were all lies. Flora _did_ care about him.

With Veronica and the others, he had to keep reminding himself they were his friends to trust them. Here, in the arms of such a sensitive and nice woman, he had no reason to do the same. He trusted her. He did not even know why, but he trusted her.

"H-Help me…"

"W-what?"

"Help me remember, please…" Helia begged in a whisper, staring at the beautiful brunette who was holding his shoulders tightly. Tears were still cascading out of her so beautiful emerald eyes; and his sentence seemed to have shocked her more than anything.

She did not reply. Instead, she brought her face closer towards his. His mind did not tell him what to do… that was why, for the first time; he did not decide to follow his mind: he decided to follow his heart.

And his heart told him to trust her.

Her lips collided with his, so tenderly yet so passionately, and Helia couldn't refrain. He returned the kiss. This feeling was so familiar; this tenderness, this passion… this love. Helia felt it. He felt loved.

Flora loved him.

And Helia loved her.

That was all he needed.

 _I remember._

He remembered.

He remembered Flora. He remembered how much he loved her. He remembered how much he had loved her since their teenage years. He remembered how much he wanted a life with her, no matter if they should live in royalty or not. He remembered how she had accepted to be his Queen so they could share a whole future together.

He remembered the sadness and despair in her eyes when… When he sacrificed himself when Veronica was about to kill her.

As they pulled back, Helia kept staring at her. "Flora…"

The fairy seemed shocked. "Y-yeah?"

"Love." A smile slowly began to appear on the young man's face, and it was enough to fill the silence between them –despite the noise caused by the army behind them- that Flora thought had lasted for too long. Despite the fact that she had seen Helia _smile_ (for the first time since what she thought was… _forever?_ ) _,_ something gave her could not believe what he had heard… " _Love"_ This was the nickname he used to give her when they talked, and she felt so much shivers each time, and this time was not an exception. That was the reason why at this moment, more than shivers, she felt _hope._

He brushed away one of the strands that had fallen on her face with the tip of his fingers and whispered in her ear: "I believe you."

Flora gasped and felt like she did not hear properly what Helia had just said to her. She _couldn't_ have heard right. "W-What?"

"Flora." Helia said as he grabbed her shoulders too. "I remember."

Flora's eyes widened. "F-for real?"

"Yeah. I remember everything. I remember you Flora." He smiled at her. "I love you."

Then, a heavy silence fell between the two –despite the noises behind them of Veronica pushing the guards away-. Helia was smiling brightly at her while brushing her hair and her tears away from her so beautiful face, while she could not make a single move nor produce a single sound.

"More than everything." Helia added.

"W-W-"

"I will never be mad at you Flora. This was none of your fault." Just like before, he had read her thoughts and knew exactly what she was thinking.

"She never prevented me from remembering you, love." Helia whispered. "I dreamt of you, but she tried to keep me away from you. But I remember everything. I love you, Flora." He said as he grabbed her right hand and rubbed her middle finger with his thumb. "I want to live with you, love. My future princess." He approached his mouth to his ear once again. Flora felt his hot breathe running over her skin as he spoke. "My future Queen."

And what followed was silence. For seconds, which turned to minutes, Flora thought she was daydreaming, that Veronica had casted a spell on her and that she had collapsed; that the Witch had not been arrested and she was still on her bed imagining how Helia would react if he saw her; how he would admit he hated her.

But this was not the case. Helia was there; holding her in his arms, staring at her with so much love like he used to do, giving her his warmth the way he used to do when they shared romantic hugs in the past. She could not believe it.

 _Helia was back_ ; the man she loved more than anything, the man who was everything to her, the man who she had always wanted to share a future with, was back to her. Her whish had come true.

Flora couldn't react otherwise. She jumped into his arms. She hugged him so tightly that the others thought she would never let him go, or either would choke him. But he returned her hug with the same strength; he felt so guilty, he could not believe he had done this to her. Forgetting her was the worst thing he could have ever done to her.

"I-I-I thought I'd n-n-never see you a-a-again…" Flora tried to say in between panting; she was crying so hard that it almost chocked her. She tried to make sure she was fully awake; that she finally had a chance to return to happiness; that her life had returned. "I-I can't believe you're h-here Helia… I-I m-missed you s-so much… I-I couldn't l-live without y-you Helia…"

"I'm sorry." Helia whispered in her ear while breathing the scent of her hair; _honey,_ just like before. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry…" What he had done to her was the worst thing he could ever have; forgetting her, be mad at her, hating her for … for _nothing_ , made him feel guiltier than ever. He could not believe he had done such horrible things to her…

He was never going to let her go, to let her be hurt again. _Never._

But then, Flora's breathe was cut off in a gasp. Pain overwhelmed her whole body from the tip of her hair to her toes starting from the middle of her back; right between her two wings. Her sight stared to blacken…

Helia, after hearing her gasp opened his eyes again and saw that her wings had disappeared from his sight, that she had detransformed, and felt her body slowly collapsing into his arms. When he thought it was because he was holding her too tightly, he loosened his grip… then caught her falling body. Blood was spilling out of her back and falling into drops on the ground. When he looked up, he saw Veronica mouthing to him " _we cannot live in the same world…"_ while the guards had finally managed to carry her away. When his look came down at his Flora again, he noticed the knife stuck on her back, in between her wings; the weak spot of all fairies.

"N-No…"

"H-Helia…" Flora managed to whisper; but she was already falling into unconsciousness.

"D-Don't…. don't leave me love…" Helia replied. _No_. _It couldn't happen. It was not possible._

 _Why was fate so terrible?!_

There were only two things she remembered from this moment. The sound of her friends' voices calling her name while running towards them, and his face covered with worry.

"FLORA!"

* * *

"Oh god…" Layla muttered when she took a look at her friend's body lying on the hospital bed. Her tan skin was paler than the snow, her hand joined to a machine with threads, and her face was covered with an oxygen mask.

Helia was sitting on a chair next to her bed, staring at her; his face was full of worry and guilt. Felicia and Colin -who had waken up after hearing his friends' screams and had rushed towards his sister to help- were on the other side of the room, and their faces were covered with this same emotion.

He could not believe it. He had not kept his promise. He had sworn that nothing would ever hurt her again, and there she was: fighting between life and death, while all her friends were staring down at her, knowing they could do... _nothing_ except watch her and hope she would get better. Was it possible to feel more useless than at this moment? Than at this moment when he was watching the love of his life, his everything, the reason why he had finally came back, and the one who saved him from... from these _bastards_ being in such a state?

Why was Flora so unlucky in life? Why did not destiny stop taking it out on her? Why couldn't he protect her the way she deserved to be protected?

 _Wake up love... Please..._

* * *

 **It was very hard writing this chapter... I'm sorry everyone! Yes, I know they got reunited and get parted again but it is something necessary for their futures. The two or three next chapter will focus on FxH's relationship, from how they met to the fateful battle against the Black Rose Group.**

 **Kisses everyone! And thank you again for your reviews!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Once again, THANK YOU for all your sweet reviews! They are so nice, I'm glad you like the last chapter. This one and (I think) the two after are going to deal with Flora and Helia's relationship. I will always clarify which part of their lives I'll deal with at the beggining, well, you'll see for yourselves. Have a good reading, and, once again, a big thank you!  
**

* * *

 _ **Chapter 12**_

"I'm sorry." A nurse entered the room slowly. "You're too numerous. It's not good for her; one person can stay. I'll ask the others to go."

"Please… Can I be the one staying?" Helia asked the others lamely, as they all looked at him in return. He seemed so sad, so lost, so in love that they decided this was the least they could do, not only for him, but for Flora too. They just nodded and went out of the room.

When he was left alone with his everything, he took her hand and whispered in her ear:

"Flora, my love. I know you can hear me. When I was under Veronica's spell, I still remembered you. She never prevented me to remember you. My love, now that I remember you, that I am alive, I can't see you die. If you die now, there won't be any reason for me to live. Please, love, live. I need you in my life."

 _Helia… I remember you… I remember everything… I want to live with you…_

"I don't want you to forget me like I awfully did for you… I'm going to tell you everything about us. Remember? All the time we spent together?" Helia whispered the last part a little louder in her ear, hoping she would hear him better. "When we fell in love?"

 _Of course I do, honey…_

 **FLASH BACK**

 _ **10 years-old**_

"That's it! Go on!" Rollos told his 10 year-old daughter, who was testing her swordswoman skills against a scarecrow. Her father had always told her that improving these competences was important, because one day, her magic powers could be cancelled and so she would be able to defend herself. Rollos was the captain of the Linfean army and was certainly one of the best swordsmen of the planet: that was why he decided to teach her daughter about this himself. The little girl was still going to school for little fairies.

Flora dropped her sword and sat down, exhausted and panting very heavily. The outfit she was wearing was not helping her body temperature to cool down. Her training outfit consisted in hessian black pants and a grey woollen top. The fabrics were very thick, but they were more comfortable when it came to train. "This had been very good sweetie." Rollos said as he tapped his daughter's head softly. "You improved your skills so quickly."

"Thanks, daddy." Flora managed to say between panting. Rollos sat down next to his daughter and engaged a conversation. "So, are you still playing with this boy?"

"This boy?" Flora replied, but then understood who her father was talking about. The two had always been close, and Rollos was the only one Flora told about her new friend he met on the woods behind his house, and whom he met almost every day to play with him. "Ah, yes! I'm still playing with him. He asked me to meet him in the forest soon!"

"In the forest?" Rollos asked. "Make sure you don't get lost sweetie, okay?"

"Don't worry, if I do I will ask the trees!" Flora said. "You know I can talk to them!"

"I know honey, but still, be careful." Rollos said but took out his ringing phone and sighed. "Sweetie, I have to go back to the castle. King Aniello needs to see me."

"Again?" Flora said. "You promised you would stay a little with me today…"

"I'm sorry honey." Rollos tapped her head tenderly again. "The King has been in troubles these days. He needs me to help him."

"But he already needed to see you yesterday!"

"I know honey, but that's my job. I cannot refuse anything to the King." Rollos said.

Flora sighed and lowered her head to stare at the floor. "Okay daddy."

"Good girl." Rollos said and kissed his daughter on the top of her head. "Be cautious on the forest honey."

"Don't worry, daddy!" Flora exclaimed as she ran towards the forest after losing the sight of her father, where she was supposed to meet her new friend. She did not know his name, but she loved to play with him; he was very funny and dynamic, he was the only friend she had who was like this.

When she entered the forest, she saw no one. Maybe she arrived too early after all? But this thought was broken when a handful of mud was thrown to her. "Hey!" Flora screamed as she looked up to see the blue haired boy sitting on a branch on the top of a tree. He was laughing heartily while pointing his index at her.

"Gotcha!"

"That's not funny! Look at my top!" Flora yelled at him.

"I wish you could see your face right now! It's hilarious!" He did not stop laughing at her. This was getting on her nerves: she had nothing to throw at him!

"Get down, so we'll discuss this face to face!"

"Whatever!" He gave up and ended up on the ground. Flora took this opportunity to jump on him and knock him down on the mud. He was wearing a white shirt, and it turned brown due to the dirt.

"Hey! You're cheating! You did not even let me time to get steady!" He exclaimed as she tried to push her away. "You did too!" Flora replied when he grabbed another handful of mud and tried to press it against her cheek. But she saw it coming and managed to flatten his wrist on the ground again.

"Okay! Okay! I give up!" Helia said with a laugh and Flora joined him in laughing. She went off him as the two sat up. They kept laughing for a few minutes; Helia then took a look at the state of his shirt; only covered with dirt. Almost no white could be seen, it had only become shades of brown.

"Dad will be mad at me, I think." He admitted. "He asked me not to get dirty today."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Flora felt somehow anxious for him. "I wouldn't have pushed you on the mud!"

"I'll try and change it before going back." He replied. "Plus it was funny."

"Yes, it was!" Flora smiled. Then, she remembered she wanted to ask something to him. "Hey, do you know how to fight?"

"Yeah, someone has been teaching me how to use swords lately." Helia sighed. "It's so boring."

"Boring?" Flora asked. He was the only one she heard saying sword fighting was boring. "You really don't like this? You said you just had fun!"

"Yeah, but that's not the same kind of fights. They teach me how to be loyal _,_ and strategic, and… and that's annoying. That's all."

Flora giggled. "My dad always tells me that's important to know how to use a sword."

"Mine tells me the same, but that does not make me like this."

The two fell into silence for a few minutes. It was not uncomfortable, but Flora wanted to get to know him a little more. "Hey, who is your teacher? Maybe my father knows him."

"I'm not sure I remember his name…. Sir Ramoss? Rossos?"

Flora's eyes widened. _Sounds like my father_ _'_ _s name_ _…_ She noted. "Isn't it "Rollos"?"

"Yes, that's it!" Helia exclaimed, before rubbing the back of his neck. "I never remember his name, I don't even know why, because he's nice."

"He's my dad…" Flora whispered.

"Really?" He said with a big smile. "That's great! That means we can play around more often if you come at my home with him!" He said, but Flora leaned away. This seemed to have surprised him.

"What's wrong?"

"You're prince Helia, right?" Flora asked as she brought her knees up. Helia did not reply and just raised his eyebrows, which Flora saw as a _How do you know?_

"Other than me, my dad only has one pupil. Prince Helia."

"Oh." Helia gasped, and silence fell between the two. And this time he was the one who broke it again. "W-we can still be friends right?"

Flora did not reply. "Maybe your father does not want." _In Eraklyon the King did not want…_

"My father does not care who my friends are, as long as they do not make me sad."

"And you are happy?"

"Of course!" Helia said with a smile. "I have lots of fun when we play together!"

"Really?" Flora finally smiled back at him.

"Yeah. Even if I get dirty each time." The two laughed at this.

* * *

"Helia, what happened to your clothes?!" King Aniello exclaimed as he saw his son entering the castle. Helia and Flora had tried to come back discreetly, but they failed miserably when Aniello entered the hall at the same time.

"W-Well dad, I-"

"I-it's my fault, sir." Flora bowed in front of the King as Helia gasped. _We told each other you wouldn't talk, idiot!_ But it was her fault, so she had to apologize for Helia. "We were playing and I pushed him on the mud." The King and his imposing stature looked down at the little girl. For a 40year-old man, he was keeping well. He had short yet thick black hair contrasting with his place skin.

"Who are you, little girl?" Aniello, the King, asked her. Flora was caught unprepared; she expected to be scolded, but instead, he was asking her what her name was.

"I-I-"

"Flora? What are you doing here?"

Turning around, the three spotted Rollos. _Oh no…_ Flora thought as she started imagining what would be happening to her soon. Were they going to be scolded? Or punished?

"I'm sorry dad, I-"

"Dad?" Aniello raised an eyebrow. "Oh, you're _this_ Flora?" The King smiled. This cancelled this strict effect he gave Flora when he talked to them at the beginning. "I did not recognize you. You were so small the last time!"

"O-Oh?"

"Rollos, you did not tell me you introduced your daughter to Helia."

"I did not." Rollos smiled. Flora sighed in relief; the two adults did not seem to be mad at them. "They met on their own."

"Well, it seems that our families are linked by fate." Aniello smiled. "You should bring her to the castle more often, Rollos. Apparently she has a friend here."

"You're right." Rollos replied with a smile. Aniello looked down at Helia again. "Son, you should change clothes. Remember you must come to the ball tonight."

"I know dad." Helia replied with another smile.

"Do you want to come too, Flora?" Aniello asked. "I'm sure you'd like to see how royal balls look like."

"I-I-"

"Of course she'll come." Rollos said tapping his daughter's head once again. "Right, honey?"

"Y-yes." Flora said still with her trembling voice.

"Very good." Aniello smiled at the little girl. He placed a hand on his son's shoulder. "Helia, go change clothes now. The ball is starting soon, remember?"

"Yeah." Helia sighed. He turned to Flora and smiled at her. "See you tonight!"

"See you!" Flora exclaimed in reply. When the two disappeared from their sights, Flora turned to her father and lowered her head. "I'm sorry, dad."

"What for, honey?" Rollos knelt in front of her.

"I'm the one who got his shirt dirty." Flora played with one of her bangs. "I pushed him on the mud when we were playing."

"Really?" Rollos asked.

"Yes. I didn't know he would get scolded!"

"He did not and he won't get scolded honey." Rollos reassured his daughter. "This is only a shirt. Aniello won't scold him for that."

"For real?"

"Yes." Rollos smiled. "But, honey, why didn't you tell me you two were friends?"

"I did not know he was the prince." Flora lowered her head again. "I learned this today. He did tell me you were his teacher with sword fighting."

"I see."

"Say, daddy… We can still be friends, right?"

"Why couldn't you be?" Rollos asked. "You two do get along, no?"

"But…. He is a prince." Flora sighed. "I heard that in Eraklyon they did not let the Prince be friend with a girl."

Rollos grabbed his daughter's shoulders tenderly. "Honey, the King and the Queen will never prevent you two from being friends. They are not like this."

Flora smiled. "You're right daddy! The King is kind!"

"That's my girl." Rollos smiled back. "So, let's get ready for the ball, okay?"

"Okay!" Flora jumped excitedly.

* * *

"That's so pretty!" Flora screamed in joy while she and Helia sat near the pool admiring fireworks. "I love it when they're blue!"

"You're easily impressionable." Helia sarcastically said with a smirk. Flora just stuck out her tongue at him as an answer. "Shut up!"

"Seriously, you never saw any fireworks before?"

"Hey, that's not my fault if I never came to your ceremonies!"

"Hey, it's not my fault that you never watched through your windows!"

"Hey, it's not that you… you…" Flora realized that she did not have any argument against him. That was why she came out with the first thing that came to her mind: "that you're a prince!"

"Wohowo, watch out, girl!" Helia said with a laugh before lifting his fist on the air. "You're putting yourself in danger!"

"Really?" Flora smirked. "I'm not scared, boy!"

With that said, the two stood up in one jump with their fists in the air pretending to getting ready for battle. Flora recoiled from a few steps, but did not understand she was approaching dangerously the pool. She fell onto it without really understanding what happened to her while Helia continued laughing at her.

"Haha! You did not see the pool?! How was that possible?!"

"Shut up!" Flora shouted once again while blushing. She couldn't believe this happened again! "Come here if you're so strong!"

"I can't ruin my suit!" Helia stuck his tongue out at her.

"The ball's over, they don't need you anymore!" Flora replied as she swam back to the edge and grabbed his legs to bring him on the pool with him; he did not try to fight back and fell with her.

"Hey, you did it again!" Helia exclaimed as the two laughed.

"You started it!" Flora said while she splashed him. The two were having so much fun in the pool they did not realize the King and the Queen were staring at them with smiles on their faces.

 _ **15 years-old**_

"And you pushed my head under the water." Helia remembered as he lay again on the grass. He and Flora were on the same spot on the forest where she had learnt that her friend was the prince of Linfea. The summer weather was very hot and no rain would fall down during this season. So the two friends could stay here, enjoying the only free time they could share together.

"You left me no other choices." Flora replied with a laugh. She grabbed one of her rebel bangs flying in front of her face due to the wind and placed it behind her ear.

"And you were the first one fearing of being "scolded"." Helia laughed when Flora playfully slapped his shoulder.

"I just did not want you to be punished because of me, that's not the same." The brunette sighed. Helia just giggled again and did not reply; his eyes were closed, so Flora could take a better look at him. For the last years she had spent lots of time at the castle to help her Dad with everyday tasks (and to receive lessons from the second wife of Helia's grandfather, Faragonda), and the only time she could see Helia without his black suit was there, when the two of them were together. He was just wearing normal shirts –sometime even too big for him- and a pair of jeans; he always said this was way more comfortable, and Flora could only believe him. And, surprisingly enough, she found Helia way more attractive and handsome like this.

And more like the Helia she had grown to have fallen in love with for the past five years.

* * *

 **Maybe it was cheesy, but Flora was 10 years old during the first part of this chapter.** **I hope you liked this chapter anyway!**


	13. Chapter 13

**I'm back with a new chapter. Thank you for all your reviews, I'm really pleased to read them. This chapter is once again part of the flash-back chapters for Flora and Helia's relationship. I hope you'll enjoy it.  
**

 **Once again, thank you!**

 **CHAPTER 13**

 _ **15 years old**_

"I'll have to go back soon." Helia sighed, still with his eyes closed and his arms behind his head. Flora could not help but feel sad to know he had to leave so early. He was soon going to turn 16, and Flora had realized years that the more he would get old, the less they were going to have time to be together; that was one of the reasons why she had to keep her feelings for herself. She had known she was in love since her late 14, and it started to hurt her more and more everyday. Thankfully, her sense of humor helped her getting through it.

"Yeah, dad told me there was another ceremony tonight." Flora winked playfully. "Too bad for you."

Helia rolled his eyes, a smile appearing on his lips. Flora was glad she could make fun of his status of prince without him getting mad at her jokes. His patience was one of his so numerous qualities. He was fun; he was nice with everybody; he was forgiving; he was smiling; he was an artist; he was perfect. Everything in him was perfect. And the time the two spent together was perfect.

"You can laugh, but believe me you wouldn't if you were a princess." Helia said after sticking his tongue out at her. Flora giggled at him.

"And I am not a princess, so I can laugh."

"Shut up." A falsely indifferent Helia replied while pushing her on the arm. Flora fell next to him without stopping to laugh; and the young prince soon joined her. For a few moments silence fell between the two. Then, Helia's mind seemed to click:

"So, you won't be coming at the ceremony tonight?"

Flora shook her head. "Felicia is coming back from Oppositus. We'll be having lunch together; we have lots to tell each other."

Despite feeling sad to not have her with him this evening, Helia smirked at his best friend. "Lots you don't want me to know?"

Flora winked at him again. "Hey, I have my secrets!"

Helia playfully rolled his eyes. "Don't you remember our motto?"

"'Secrets are not secrets'" Flora remembered with a smile. From the moment they had reached their 12 years old, they had sworn to each other that they would not hide anything to the other. But this time, this was different… because Flora knew this secret was not the same kind of secrets.

Flora knew her best friend as if the two were only one person. Helia was not the type of boys to fall in love with her. He was not the type of boys to laugh at her if she had to confess her feelings to him either; but she knew things would not be the same after. He would feel uneasy, he would not look at her in the eyes anymore; he would stop talking to her like this. At this moment, being his best friend was making her happy; she did not demand for anything more.

"Then?" Helia said with a smirk. "What are you hiding?"

"None of your business." Flora smirked back.

"Please, tell me." Helia started to make those puppy-eyes Flora knew she couldn't resist. He was way too important for her and she knew she couldn't resist him because of this. But she was going to resist. She couldn't tell him everything. She couldn't tell him she was in love with him. "You know I love you, right?" Helia whispered and Flora blushed furiously. The two always said they "loved" each other, even though it was not the way Flora wished it would be. She loved Helia romantically; she wanted to be his girlfriend, she wanted him to kiss her, to hug her, to hold her hand... But she knew it was not the same for Helia; and she always forgot it at first, even if she knew Helia couldn't like her romantically.

"I won't."

Helia's smirk grew wider after a groan of disappointment. "Really? You're hurting my feelings."

"Poor creature. I'd almost pity you." Flora and Helia moved their heads up to look at the intruder: Queen Maia, Helia's mother, standing in front of them with her hands on her hips. Flora always thought that Helia's mother was beautiful; her long hair was always tied up on a ponytail, similar to Helia's new hairstyle –which Flora was very fond of-; she was smaller than her son, but they both had the same facial expressions, the same mimicking, and it had not taken Flora long to understand that Helia inherited way much from his mother than from his father. Maia was not only beautiful, but was also very kind, patient and smiling, just like Helia. The Queen never prohibited them to see each other, and Flora was very grateful for that.

"Hey mom, you don't know what she did to me! She betrayed me!"

"I did not do anything!" Flora almost yelled at him, still with a smile on her face. Maia smiled back at the brunette. "I know, honey. He's so rebel."

"Hey, that's the truth!" Helia defended himself, and Maia rolled her eyes playfully.

"Yeah yeah, get up; you have to prepare yourself for tonight!" The queen said while grabbing his shirt on the shoulder and lifting him up –Flora could guess Helia did not try to defend since he had always been stronger than his mother- and pushing him on the back while smiling. "Faster!"

"Okay, okay." Helia laughed. He waved to Flora –which made her involuntarily blush- to wish she responded by taking a tissue from her pocket and shook it on the air, which made Maia laugh at them.

Flora sighed heavily and stared at the grass as her smile gradually disappeared from her face. It was getting harder and harder to watch Helia as a friend and going away like this. Her feelings started to turn into a heavy weight on her shoulders; and she hoped telling Felicia about this that afternoon would help her.

Feeling a pair of hands in front of her eyes, Flora gasped, but felt relieve after hearing a female voice whispering "Guess who's there?"

"Let me think." Flora started to smile. "A blond-haired person?"

"Pink-haired." Felicia corrected her.

"What?!" Flora exclaimed as she turned around to look at her friend. Her back-length hair which was previously as blonde as the sun had turned into a shoulder-length with very light shade of pink. Her friend was still very beautiful, and Flora couldn't deny this hair colour suited more her green eyes and pale skin.

"Hello Flo'!" Felicia giggled as she took her friend into a hug; which Flora returned easily. "Hello Fily."

* * *

"So, how has it been at school lately?" Flora asked as she gulped her mouthful of pasta –she had not eaten pasta for years- before looking back at her friend. Almost no one was on the restaurant apart from them, and this was good for Flora, she did not want everybody to know she was in love with Helia, their prince.

"Okay, I guess?" Felicia replied with a smile. "Schools at Oppositus are… disturbing. It's weird to see such opposites live in harmony this way." ( **A/N: I don't know why, Oppositus is my favourite planet!** )

"Did not you say you were searching for your "opposite lover"?" Flora smirked, and Felicia sighed.

"I never said that! I just said I wanted-" Taking a glimpse at her friend's smirk, she understood quickly what she thought and blushed lightly. "No, I've no one in sight right now."

"Really?" Flora smirked even more; and Felicia seemed to have an idea to annoy her friend in return. "And you, still nothing in love life?"

Flora blushed, and stared back at her plate of pastas. The boot was on the other foot now. "W-Well…"

"Then?" Felicia winked. She had caught her.

"A-actually… I wanted to talk to you about this."

"Really?" Felicia's smirk grew wider. She shouldn't be surprised because she had noticed her friend was in love from the moment she had seen her on the forest early on. She was more radiant despite her lack of smile, and this opposition of facial expression has directly told her this answer. "Who's on your sight now?"

Flora remained silent, and Felicia pushed her leg lightly with hers. Flora had caught her attention at this moment; she had to tell her. "Come on, tell me!"

"You'll think I'm a deep idiot." Flora said with embarrassment, rubbing her thumbs together.

"Hey, you can't control it!"

Flora sighed before looking up at her friend. She waited a few seconds before asking "Promise you won't laugh?"

"I promise."

"Really?" Flora insisted. The last thing she wanted at this moment was to be mocked by her friend.

"Really!" Felicia was growing more and more impatient. "So, tell me!"

"I-it's…. It's Helia." Flora whispered the last part so slowly so Felicia barely heard it. But she expected this declaration so much that she did not mind.

"But that's so great!" Felicia exclaimed happily. "Why are you so ashamed of this?!"

"Shhhhh!" Flora tried to calm her down, despite having almost no one around them on the restaurant. Taking a look at them, she noticed they seemed to be too into their conversation to have heard her. Sighing in relief, she turned back to Felicia. "He cannot love me, Fily."

"That's nonsense!" Felicia exclaimed as loudly as before, and this time Flora did not bother to calm her down because she knew this wouldn't work. "You two are so perfect for each other!"

"But it would be better if he loved me back, don't you think?" Flora asked, and Felicia smiled at her.

"Of course he loves you back, it's obvious!" Felicia winked. "You have to tell him as soon as you can."

Flora sighed and did not reply. She did not seem convinced by Felicia's idea _at all_. But now that the pink-haired knew her feelings, she couldn't let her friend go on without confessing them to Helia. "Don't you have any occasion to tell him?"

"He told me he wanted to participate to his birthday's tournament secretly." Flora said after reflecting for a few moments. She was supposed to keep this for herself but… maybe her friend did have some advices?

She shook her head from left to right. No, this was not a good idea to have told Felicia about this…

"I have an idea." Felicia told her friend. "The tournament is in six days. You could confess your feelings to him if he won."

"Why would I do this?" Flora asked with a sigh. "I'll lose him. And I don't want to lose him, Fily."

"And you won't!" Felicia said with a smile. Flora was about to speak again, but she was cut off. "Don't worry, I'll make sure you won't."

And by " _making sure_ ", Felicia meant " _making sure Helia loved Flora back_ ".

* * *

"So, he decided to push him on the wall, and he was okay with this!" Felicia said with the same surprise as when she lived the situation. "Can you believe this?"

The day following the ceremony, Helia had invited the two girls to another restaurant held by one of his friends. He and Fily had not seen each other for months, and he was glad to see her again. And of course, inviting Flora too was necessary.

"And authority did nothing?" Helia asked before finishing his glass. Felicia nodded and noticed Flora was taking some indiscreet glances at the Prince, making the pink-haired smile. Suddenly, Flora's phone started to ring. Taking it out, she announced before going out of the restaurant: "It's mom. I'm coming back soon.", making Felicia smirk when she noticed Helia was staring at her until she was out of the restaurant.

"So, Hel', you did not tell me, what's up nowadays?" Felicia asked when Flora was out, having him turn around suddenly. "Still in your routine of royal life?"

"Yeah, more or less…" Helia answered with a sigh, staring at his empty glass. He was too deep into his thoughts to realize Felicia was still smirking _._

She had understood _._

"What's up in your mind?" She asked slyly, and Helia looked at her with surprise.

"Nothing, why are you asking?" He replied lamely, and Felicia did not buy this at all. But she couldn't insist on this, or she would be caught.

"Oh." She falsely gave up but she couldn't avoid this same smirk to grow up on her face. But she was going to have him answer her, no matter how much tricks she would have to use. And she was going to use Flora's declaration to her advantage. "You know I learnt something very, _very_ interesting today."

"What?" Helia looked up at her, but did not seem to be as interested as Felicia would have liked him to be. She needed to be cleverer.

"I could tell you… but I'm not sure I'll stay alive after this."

Helia rolled his eyes. "So, why did you start this subject in the first place?"

"Because I have a question for you. Depending on your answer, I'll tell you."

"Okay, what's your question?" Helia asked as he straightened himself up on his chair. Felicia's smirk grew even wider, knowing her question was going to bother him.

"Are you in love with someone right now?"

Helia stared wide-eyed at her and did not manage to speak properly. "W-what?!"

"Are-"

"I-I heard!" Helia exclaimed. "But… why are you asking?"

"Just answer."

Helia stared at her with incomprehension on his look, and Felicia's smirk did not help him. But from what she had told him… Maybe was this important to tell the truth? He took a deep breath before answering. "Yes."

"With Flora?" Felicia guessed.

Helia's silence and sudden bottom lip biting gave her his answer. Of course he had to be in love with her. She did not even know why she had had to ask in the first place. "So, you'd be very interested by what she said to me."

Helia tried to stop her from talking much. "She said she had secrets she wanted to tell you only. If she does not want me to know-"

"She loves you too. Very, _very_ much. But she thinks you don't love her back, that's why she did not tell you."

"How can I be sure you're not lying?"

"Flora's my friend, I don't want her to be sad." Felicia took another gulp of her drink. "She's so into you, I wanted to make sure it was mutual before pushing her to you."

Helia sighed once again. He did not know what to believe, between Felicia's words and what his mind told him. _I hope I can believe you._

* * *

"I remember the last time we watched fireworks." Flora whispered. "We ended up in the pool."

The two were once again on their spot on the forest. It was the only time of the year Helia did not have to be in the palace for a ceremony and he took this opportunity to spend time with the brunette, with his sketchpad on his hands. He had tried to draw something, anything, but he couldn't take his eyes away from the brunette. After what Felicia had announced Flora was in love with him, he did not know how to feel. Anxious? Scared? Overjoyed?

Helia did not know when he had fallen in love with the brunette for the first time, but he had realized it long ago already. She was perfect; she was everything he wanted in a girlfriend. But she was his best friend, and the last thing he wanted was to lose her. This would be his pain, his… _destruction_. That was why he had kept his feelings for himself. He did not want to lose this precious friendship; the moments he spent with her were the only moments of fun he could offer himself.

But at this moment, everything had changed. If Flora did love him back, then their lives could change for better. They would freely express their love to one another; and that was his dearest wish at that moment.

But how could he make sure Felicia was telling the truth?

"Yeah." Helia sighed, looking down at the beautiful brunette next to him. She was as usual staring at the sky with half a smile drawn on her face, he knees brought up with her two arms wrapped around them. She was gorgeous; she looked like… an angel. A goddess. As if she was meant to be the next queen of Linfea.

It was as if destiny told him that they were meant to be together. Shaking his head to wipe away his nonsense thoughts, Helia's gaze involuntarily fell again on the brunette.

 _My Flora._ Helia thought as he kept staring at her. _Do you feel the same?_

Had Felicia told the truth? Did Flora really love him back? Did they have a chance to be together? Deciding he had to be bold, he let his head fall on her shoulder. "I'm so happy when you're here."

"W-what's up with you lately?" Flora asked while trying to hide her embarrassment. Of course she was happy with him too… but she couldn't let him know that. She couldn't let him know she was in love with him.

"Nothing." Helia sighed. "I just want you to know that I'm happy to be your friend."

* * *

This day was the day of the tournament for Helia's birthday. Helia had given a loosely excuse to his parents saying he would watch the battles from the casual public, but his true goal was to participate without being recognized. The only one he had told about this was Flora. She had helped him finding black fabric to sew a cape, and they had then gone to Magix for shopping and he bought himself a shirt and new pants which he hid on a cupboard in Flora's room so his servants would not see them.

"Are you sure about doing this?" The brunette asked her best friend as he straightened his cape, making sure his face could not be seen. "If they recognize you…"

"I don't care." Helia sighed before smiling weakly. "I want to show them I can fight and use magic by myself now that I'm 16."

"But what if you get hurt?" Flora asked with a timber of fear on her voice. Helia sighed. "I don't know if I'll get hurt if I don't try."

Helia had told her half a lie. Of course he wanted to show his people he could fight for himself but the true reason why… Flora. He wanted to impress her; he wanted her to be proud of him, so he could finally… feel confident and confess his feelings to her.

 _If I win… I'll tell Flora my feelings._

Flora sighed. She was scared. Of course she was scared he would get caught or get hurt but… she was scared he would win, because she had promised herself and Felicia she would confess her feelings to him if he won. Felicia had told her this would be a great occasion but… Flora had never felt so nervous before.

 _If Helia wins… I'll confess my feelings to him._

* * *

 **This chapter was longer than the previous ones, but I hope you still liked it. I know they did not kiss yet... But if you followed the story from the very beginning, you know that they will soon.**

 **See you for the next chapter!**


	14. Chapter 14

**This is the longest chapter I ever wrote! Over 4,300 words! You cannot imagine how inspired I have been when I wrote this chapter, I thought I couldn't stop.  
**

 **First of all, THANK YOU once again for your reviews, I'm glad you still like Her Red Rose. The next chapter will also be focused on flash-backs (maybe the one after, but I'm not sure), but it will not be as light as this one is.  
**

 **Once again, thank you for your reviews! I hope you'll like reading this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it.**

 **CHAPTER 14**

 _ **15 years-old (Flora), 16 years-old (Helia)**_

"Please be careful." Flora said to him in a whisper with her head lowered. Helia knew she could see him smile with his face hidden under the hood, but he did it anyways. He felt guilty for having her worry like this but… he knew he was for the best; maybe for both of them.

"I'll be." He answered as he took her into a hug. Flora gasped and froze but returned his embrace softly. It was not the first time they had hugged, but this time, it felt different, and it was oblivious for the two of them. They both knew their relationship was going to change soon, and they both knew it only depended on one thing: his victory.

Letting go of her slowly and unwillingly, he leaned down towards her and kissed her temple. He only realized his action after doing it and after feeling her froze once again; fearing of seeing her reaction, he re-adjusted his hood and turned away, walking towards the arena.

Blushing furiously, Flora's breathe had quickened as did her heartbeats and she could not believe what he had just done. Shaking her head, she sighed and walked towards the stairs leading to the crowd. The city of trees was reputed for the view the crowd could enjoy during pauses, and seeing the forest from this high was beautiful. But this day, Flora was not in the mood to enjoy this view.

 _Please be careful._

* * *

" _And we can proclaim Knight Chivel the winner of the-_ "

" _Wait_! _The tournament is not over_!" The second speaker exclaimed on his microphone as Helia entered the battle zone. Knight Chivel smiled brightly and seemed slightly amused; and for a moment, Helia feared he had recognized him. But he apparently did not, since he told him "So, kid, you think you can beat me?"

Sighing in relief, knowing that Chivel would never call him "kid", Helia smiled back and took out his sword from its sheath. Chivel's smile grew wider and he repeated his action, pointing his sword at Helia.

" _So, can this man beat Knight Chivel_?" The blonde speaker screamed once again.

" _We'll see! Let's the 15 minute battle begin in 30 seconds!_ "

* * *

Flora had never felt time spending so slowly. These thirty seconds were the longest one, while she was staring at Helia challenging Knight Chivel, the best night of the Linfean Court.

The lady next to her seemed to have noticed her anxiety and nicely smiled at her. "Do you know this boy?"

Flora gasped. She did not expect anyone to ask her about this, and this did not help her at all. "N-no."

"I'm sorry for asking." The purple-haired woman apologized. Looking up, Flora recognized Lady Demeter, woman from the wealthiest families of Linfea. Her twelve years old daughter (Krystal, if Flora remembered well from what Helia told her) was sitting next to her and did seem much invested in the battles, staring down at her father and applauding him. "You look anxious."

"I-I'm always like this w-when I watch battles." Was the only excuse Flora could find at this moment. She hoped Demeter would believe her, but her gaze turned into a cautious stare. "Wait a minute, aren't you Flora, the daughter of Rollos?"

Flora gasped and remained frozen for a few minutes, giving Demeter her answer. Flora imagined every nightmarish scenario in almost one second when she saw Demeter looking down at the arena, but the Lady smiled brightly at her. "I see. Helia has always been stubborn, hasn't he?"

"W-what?"

"Don't worry," Demeter started with a smile. "I won't tell anybody."

"T-Tell what?" Flora asked with concern, even if she was sure that her embarrassment was not helping improving the situation she was currently in.

"That you are in love with Helia."

"In l-love? W-w-what do you mean?" Flora exclaimed; this was not _at all_ what she expected to hear!

"Everybody in the court knows you two are best friends, and for once you're not together, you don't seem well." Demeter smiled and her look went back to the battle when the first sword choc noise rose up. "It's good to be in love. I met Chivel when I was your age."

Flora looked up at the lady next to her. She couldn't believe her feelings had been caught like this by a woman she never talked to before; and certainly not by such an important woman in the court. "And look at us, still married, still in love." Demeter whispered with a smile. "Maybe you'll feel the same when you'll get older."

Flora sighed and looked back at the arena where the fight had already started. The two seemed to be at the same level, attacking and avoiding each other's blows skilfully. The crowd was very silent, which was surprising, and Flora tried to focus on the fight again.

 _Please Helia, win..._

* * *

" _Time is over_!" Screamed the blonde speaker once again.

" _So we can proclaim our two fighters… are equals! No winner_!" The other one completed. Helia and Chivel were panting heavily, as Helia fell onto his knees first.

Chivel took his hand out for Helia to take it. "I've never seen anyone fighting like you before." The knight admitted with a smile. "Your technics and skills are very unique and fluid. I'm glad to be equal to you, I'm sure you'll become a great fighter when you'll get older."

Helia smiled as he got up with Chivel's help. "Thank you." He replied with a smile. "But don't worry; I did not search for victory. I wanted to prove I could fight for myself."

Chivel raised an eyebrow, looking confused. "Helia?"

Helia smiled once again and took off his hood, revealing his identity to everybody. The crowd remained silent for a few moments, but they quickly stood up and started cheering him. The King and the Queen stood up and clapped with bright smiles on their faces, which made Helia feel even more proud. Chivel smiled down at him and patted his shoulder with respect. "I'm glad to give you my victory, Helia. You deserve it."

Helia shook his head. "Victory is all yours, I do not want any glory about this."

"Really?" Chivel asked Helia while raising his eyebrow once again. "Why did you participate?"

"I told you." He smiled. "I wanted to prove Flo-" Helia pretended to clear his throat "-myself I could fight alone."

Chivel smiled again, which made Helia respect this man even more than he already did. He stood aside as he let Chivel walk towards the two speakers who congratulated him and gave him the cup.

The crowd began clapping again, and Helia tried to spot Flora on the crowd. When his eyes finally met her, his heart began to beat faster; he felt _scared_. Was she going to push him away? Or was she going to be proud of him?

There was only one way to know.

* * *

"Flora." Helia whispered as he opened his arms for her. She soon was engulfed into a tight hug, a different hugs than those they had shared before. Because this time, both had things to tell each other.

"Helia. You scared me so much!" Flora said as she tried not to look at him.

"I'm sorry." He replied with a sigh as he grabbed her head between his hands, lifting it in the process. "I'm truly sorry. Do you think you can forgive me?"

"I'll forgive you everything, you know it…" Flora said, slightly embarrassed by his gesture.

"I'm glad to hear it, because I have something to tell you." Helia whispered, caught in the green of her eyes. She was so beautiful; Helia couldn't believe he had never realized before. Her green eyes were sparkling as a pair of diamonds, some strains of her hair were falling in front of her face, and her lips were so attractive… He could not refrain. In only one movement, he leant down and took her lips with his.

Flora froze and it took her almost a minute to realize what was happening. Helia was kissing her. It was something she had dreamt of for she couldn't remember how long, but she did not care.

 _Helia is kissing me._

Helia was about to lean back because he felt no response from her, but she finally returned the kiss with passion as she wrapped her arms around his neck tenderly. Flora did not know how long the kiss lasted before they parted, but they unwillingly pulled away from each other, panting.

"Helia-"

"I'm sorry." Helia said with a sigh. "If I participated in this tournament, it was because I wanted you to be proud of me so I could confess my feelings. I'm in love with you Flora, I've been for so long." He sighed once again. "Don't worry; you can push me away if you don't feel the sa"-

Flora cut him off by kissing him once again, a soft kiss that turned into a passionate one. Holding each other tightly, they did not want to let each other go, not now they had each other.

They pulled away once again, with a smile drawn of Flora's face. "I promised myself and Felicia that if you won the tournament, I would confess my feeling. I love you too Helia." She kissed her cheek softly as Helia smiled brightly. " _Very_ much."

"I'm glad to hear it." Helia whispered as he held her tightly against him, as the two shared their third kiss with indelible smiles drawn onto their faces.

Both hoped this was the beginning of a very long story.

 _ **23 years-old**_

And at this moment, both knew this was going to be a long story.

( **A/N:** _The beginning of scene already appeared in chapter 3_ )

"Now that you know about my "surprise", let me give it to you now." He went on one knee, not caring about the mud, taking her hand in his.

"Flora, I have loved you for so many years now. Today, I love you above that words could explain, you mean everything to me. I can't imagine a future in which I wouldn't have you in my life." He took the ring out of his pocket. "Do you want our relationship to change as much as I? Will you marry me?"

"Yes, I will." She replied, eventually smiling. When he placed the ring on her third finger, Flora took a look at it. It was exactly the ring she dreamed of; only a golden one, without anything else on it, except the heart engraved on the outside. It was just beautiful.

Helia was everything she had ever wanted.

He stood up, took her by the waist and joined their lips, pressing her back against a tree as her arms wrapped themselves around his neck, while she deepened the kiss.

"I KNEW IT!" Felicia yelled from behind a bush, making both Flora and Helia jump. "I KNEW YOU WOULD PROPOSE! I KNEW IT!"

"Shut up!" Lorelei exclaimed. "They noticed us now!"

"What the hell are you doing here, you two?!" Flora and Helia asked in unison.

"Well, at first we were just taking a walk on the forest, but we heard you and she decided to stay listening." Lorelei explained. "She said that it would be something delicious to see."

"And I made forecasts that you would propose to her, and I won! But now, if you'll excuse us…" Felicia ended by running away, followed by the little girl.

"Come back, you two!" Flora was about to run after them, but Helia prevented her from doing so as he pushed her back against the tree and kissed her again, not letting her move. She wrapped her arms around him again, offering him her whole being.

The two remained in a tight embrace for hours, but this seemed way too short for the two. They wanted to stay in each other's arms, they wanted to stay close to each other… but night was coming, and they knew they would have to go home. Helia was the first one to let her go, and felt a strange sensation on his clothes.

"Look at this." Helia smirked pointing at his pants. "I'm covered in mud once again."

Flora smirked back. "Mud is at your level after all."

"You can be so mean sometimes." Helia pretended to be sad, and Flora knew he had understood this was only a joke.

"I did not tell you it was because it made you look even sexier." The smirk on Flora's face grew even wider, as did Helia's.

"Thanks, but you don't need mud on your clothes for this." Helia replied. His lips came down to hers once again, but this time, it felt different. It felt deeper than every kiss they had shared until this moment. Their hands were touching each other's bodies, their tongues were battling for supremacy, Flora's back was pressed even strongly on the tree and at the same time pressed so close against his chest that no particle of air could pass between them.

Flora was the first one to lean back for air, by placing her right hand on his chest. This action made her glance at this new ring, different from every other ring she may have worn. Not only was it the most beautiful of them all, but it symbolized a new step on their relationship. This was their future. This was their future _together_.

Flora could not help but smile. She had never felt so happy before; her love for him overwhelmed her whole being. She could not believe it; she could not believe he had proposed to her.

"I love you." Flora whispered with a smile. "More than everything."

"I love you too, Love." Helia took her right hand in his and kissed her ring finger with a smile. "My princess."

"Cheesy." Flora smirked once again as she grabbed Helia's shirt to bring him towards her once again.

"You started it!" Helia exclaimed with a laugh. "You're the one cheesy!"

Suddenly, rain started to pour down as the two went on laughing. Their clothes and hair started to get wetter and wetter, but they did not seem to mind.

"You'd better go home, it's past midnight you're going to get sick." Helia sadly said. Flora wrapped her arms around his neck and whispered:

"I want to stay with you tonight, fiancé." Flora smirked.

Helia once again smirked back and held her by the waist. "So you'll have to come back to the castle with me, fiancée."

"Who said I would say yes, fiancé?" Flora asked knowing the answer already. Helia laughed and carried her bridal style without her will as the two laughed.

* * *

"The nightgown you left the last year is still here." Helia said as he had opened his cupboard while Flora tied her hair up in a loosely bun, sitting on his bed. His mattress was very comfortable, more than hers could ever be. "You could wear it tonight."

"Maybe it will be too short for me now." Flora blushed.

"But it always suited you. And I'm sure it still will." Helia mischievously smirked at her; it was not the same smirk as the two hard always shared, but there, it was hiding something else. And Flora understood this "something else", and liked it very, _very_ much. Maybe too much, she realized, but at this moment this did not disturb her. Nothing could disturb her when she was with Helia, and certainly not tonight.

"Pervert."

Helia rolled his eyes before coming back to the initial subject. "So, which one do you want? A shirt of mine or this nightgown?"

Flora's smile was way cheekier than every smile she may have given him before. "Which one would you prefer?"

"Both are fine." Helia replied.

"So, give me the nightgown." Flora said. When Helia handed it to her, she made sure her fingers would brush past his hand in a provocative way. Smiling at him mischievously with a wink, she went towards his bathroom to change herself as Helia blushed lightly, staring at her walking away.

* * *

It did not last five minutes before she went out of it, looking at Helia who had also changed himself into a shirt too big for him and pants reaching his knees, pyjamas he wore each time: she could not believe she had never realized how sexy he looked like this. Gulping, she stepped back into the room, and saw Helia smiling at her widely.

"That's what I told you. It suits you."

It was true. This green flower patterned nightgown was held with two straps on her shoulders and reached her knees, leaving more of her tan skin to his sight. Flora smiled back as he grabbed her by the waist and planted his lips on hers passionately, so passionately that it made Flora feel dizzy, but the sensation was so good that she did not mind the side effect.

She returned the kiss with the same strength, her hand evilly –and unwillingly- running all over his chest under his shirt as his skilled lips moved to her neck, to her shoulder, to her collar bone, running down towards the edge of the collar of the dress, only earning Flora's moans in return. His arms left her waist and his fingers brushed against her upper arms, giving her slight goose bumps. Flora liked this sensation and couldn't keep her moans, and Helia seemed to be encouraged even more. The moment ended way too soon for Flora as he looked up at her in the eyes with doubt on his eyes, and this time, Flora was the first one to speak. The feeling of his lips all over her actual uncovered skin was not enough; she wanted more, she realized. She wanted to feel his hands too, she wanted him to touch her everywhere, she wanted to feel every inch of his skin against every inch of hers, and she wanted… things she never imagined she would want before.

Deciding she did not care about anything else, she grabbed his head by his hair and brought her lips to his ear, whispering three words she never thought she would dare saying to him.

"I want you."

Helia's serious expression turned into a smiling one as his lips reached his collarbone once again, but this time, he added his hands to rub her outer tights turning the moment into a blissful one, giving her what she wanted, as the two fell on the mattress, without breaking their kissing session.

Helia lifted himself up slowly, but was panting heavily. She was so beautiful; her hair was spread all over the bed under her, her eyes were lightly opened but their emerald green still managed to sparkle through the little opening of her eyelids, and half a smile was drawn onto her lips. He could not believe his wish of having her by his side forever had been granted; he couldn't believe they were engaged… he couldn't realize how much he had grown to love her, but he knew she was everything to him.

"I love you." Helia whispered as his kisses fell once again on her shoulder. Flora sighed in pleasure as her hands found her way back on his hair, moaning more and more loudly as she felt his fingers brushing against her skin as he started taking off the two straps of her nightgown slowly, looking at her in the eyes to ask for her permission. Flora smiled brightly at before caressing his cheek with her left hand and intertwining her right hand with his, feeling their new engagement rings touching.

"I love you even more."

Helia smiled tenderly as his lips came down to hers once again, but this time, this kiss was tenderer. Flora's hands went towards the bottom of his back and slipped under his shirt, lifting it in the process while Helia ended what he had started with the straps of the beautiful nightgown that soon reached the floor next to them, followed by his shirt as louder sounds of kissing and moaning were heard in the bedroom.

This was the beginning of a wonderful engagement night for both of them.

* * *

Flora woke up the next morning with a strange feeling. She did not feel like being in her bed on her own house, but on a mattress way bigger and way more comfortable. As she tried to turn around, she felt being in someone else's arms, and it did not take her long to remember she had spent the night with Helia, at the castle, on his bed. Blushing furiously when she saw his bare chest, she lay down next to him again to hide the redness of her cheeks, trying to cool her breathing down.

It was not the first time they had slept next to one another in the same bed, they had done it numerous times when Helia had spent the night in her own house or when she had been invited to the castle for dinner with Helia's parents, but there, this had been a different night. Remembering what they… _did_ when they came back that night made her blush even more, which she thought couldn't be possible.

Hearing Helia mumbling, she lifted her head up to look at his calm face. Each time she woke up before him, she would stare at him for a few moments before going out of bed and get dressed so he wouldn't see her bedhead. She was about to do so, but Helia held her tighter. "Don't go."

"I'll have to one day." Flora whispered as she kissed his temple tenderly, the shame she felt disappearing completely as his eyes met hers.

"I feel better when you're here." He said with a smile; this was not right, Flora thought. Helia would never talk to her so nicely on the morning. Usually they would already be tickling and joking about each other's heads, but there, he was looking serious and thoughtful.

"What's wrong?" Flora worriedly asked.

Helia sighed and looked at her in the eyes. He did not want to hide this from her; that was why he decided to tell her the truth.

"I have to tell my grandparents about our engagement."

"I know." Flora sighed. Helia noticed this fear of hers, and kissed her lips tenderly. "Don't worry. They'll never end our engagement. I won't let them do so."

* * *

Three days had already passed. Helia and Flora told their parents about their engagement, and, of course, they began cheering and congratulating them, which reassured the both of them a lot. But there was another problem, which were Helia's grandparents.

Helia's grandparents did not have anything to do with the ruling of the kingdom, but Helia knew he still had to tell them about his engagement, and this scared him… because he already knew their opinion concerning Flora.

"You heard well." Helia said, as he was standing in front of his paternal grandparents, with his parents next to him. "Flora and I are engaged."

"But you are still young, Helia!" His grandmother stated. She was looking very elegant despite her age; wearing longs but colourful dresses. "You have all your time to think about wedding!"

"We're 23, grandma."

"And the kingdom? Do you think about your kingdom?" His grandfather asked.

"My kingdom?" Helia giggled sarcastically. "Flora will be a wonderful Queen."

"She's not from a royal family! She isn't even from noble blood!"

"And?"

"Helia, you can't marry a woman who doesn't-"

"- come from at least noble blood. You told it to me at least a hundred times." Helia sighed noisily, entering his hands on his pockets while looking down. His posture didn't make him look as a prince at all; and he did it purposely. "You did let us be together for almost 10 years. What's all of this mess?"

"Hey, stand up in a better way!" His grandmother almost yelled. "Do you think a prince should stand up like this?"

"Mother!" Aniello took a step forwards and put a hand on his son's shoulder. "Helia knows what he is doing. We aren't in front of the people. You are going to scold him because he isn't acting like a prince while he isn't seen?"

"He should have habits."

"Habits." Helia faked a laugh.

"Stop laughing." Helia's grandfather scolded him. "See? Spending time with this girl is bad for his behavior."

"What did you say?!" Helia seemed to react and get angered; no one had the right to criticize his Flora.

"Flora will be a wonderful queen." Maia said as she also stepped next to her son, coming back to the main discussion subject, and Helia was very thankful towards his mother for that. "It doesn't matter if she isn't from royal blood or anything. Her heart is a hundred times purer and kinder than anyone else's."

"But it doesn't make her a princess." Helia's grandfather said while showing them his back.

Helia's eyes were full of determination as he looked up. "I love Flora and I want her as my wife."

"And I'm the King." Aniello said. "You'll never prevent Helia from marrying Flora."

"If you say so." Helia's grandfather rolled his eyes. "But I want you to know I'll never have to hear you complain."

* * *

The three exited the room, slowly closing the door behind them. Helia sighed and looked up at his father and mother. "You cannot imagine how thankful I am to you two."

"It's okay, my son." Maia said as she kissed her son's temple. "We want you to be happy."

"And Flora is a great woman." Aniello added while ruffling his son's hair. "She'll be a great Princess and Queen, you'll see. She has this in her genes."

"Thank you." Helia replied with a wide smile. "She will."

* * *

"So, how has it been?" Flora asked as Helia placed an arm around her shoulder, giving her a tight side-embrace.

"Don't worry about it, Love." He kissed her temple softly. He was going to marry Flora. He couldn't believe it; he was going to spend his future with the woman he loved. And he was never going to let anyone come between them.

 _Never._

* * *

 **So, did you like this? I really enjoyed writing it, I hope you liked reading it as well. I want to answer _SweetMemories1998_ , of course there will be a wedding, but not only, you'll see. ;)  
**

 **See you soon for the next chapter!**


	15. Chapter 15

**AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS CHAPTER, THERE WILL BE AN ANNOUNCEMENT! MAKE SURE TO READ IT!**

 **Waow, another more than 4,300 word chapter! This one came fast, because I've been really into writing it.** **Thank you for reviewing the previous chapter!** **Like I said, this chapter is not as light as the two before, and I hope you'll like it anyway.**

 **Have a good reading!**

 **CHAPTER 15**

"Look." Flora said to Helia with a smile as she handed him her cell phone with a picture of baby in it. The two were lying together on his bed once again –it seemed that Flora had been sleeping more and more at the castle-; Helia was reading a book while Flora had received a message from her older brother, Colin, who was currently living on Solaria with his new wife. Flora had known she would have a niece for long, and now that she was born, she could not believe how cute the little baby girl looked.

"Who's it?" Helia asked with a smile as he took the phone out of her hands. Flora grinned back; Helia was very cute smiling like this; this only made her realize how could of a father he was going to be in the future.

"It's Colin's daughter, Miele." Flora replied.

"So he's finally a father." Helia said, placing his book on the night table next to him, lying next to his fiancée and turning off the light. In this room full of darkness, the two could only distinguish each other without truly seeing. Even though they had turned off the lights and stopped their random activities, they knew they wouldn't sleep yet; they knew they had to talk.

"Would you like to have children one day?" Flora asked as Helia shifted from lying on his back to his side and held her waist tightly as Flora was showing him her back.

"I'll have to one day." He whispered as he buried his face on her neck. "I'll have to conceive an heir."

"But do you _want_ them?" Flora insisted.

"I'm not ready yet." Helia replied. He was holding her more tightly than usual against his chest, and once again Flora felt his warmth all over her back, and this sensation paradoxically made her shiver. "But in the future, I'm sure I'll want to be the father of your children."

"Really?" Flora smiled; even though Helia could not see her, he almost heard it on her voice.

"Of course." He dropped another kiss on the crock of her neck. She then felt his hot breath all over her neck, and this sensation made her forget about each one of her anxiousness: becoming princess, getting married… "You doubted it?"

"No." Flora admitted. "It's just your sentence, "father of your children", I liked it."

"What father do you expect me to me if it was not of your children?" Helia smiled, already knowing the answer. Flora giggled.

" _No_ _father_."

"Exactly." Helia replied with a wider smile and pressed her tighter against him. They both fell under silence until Flora asked him "How many children would you want?"

"I don't care, as long as they are happy." He replied. "And as long as you are too."

"Of course I'll be" Flora replied with a smile.

 _As long as you're here._

* * *

Pain.

Pain was all she could feel at this moment. It was as physical as emotional. She felt like her heart had been pierced with a needle and was bleeding. And she had not been hit. But it felt like it so much that she may have preferred to be hit. She never thought it was possible to feel so much pain without being harmed physically.

Helia fell onto her arms with a groan as the brunette tried to keep him standing up, but collapsed with him due to his weight.

"N-No…"

Helia was holding his chest with one on his hand tightly while trying to keep the blood in, but this was no use. The wound was too deep to be cured. Flora's vision was blurred by her tears, her hands were shaking as she noticed the blood on them, the same blood that was ruining his grey shirt.

"H-Helia…"

"Flora…" Helia managed to whisper through gritted teeth. "I-I'm sorry…"

"D-don't…" Flora could not believe what was happening under her eyes. This could not be possible. It was only a nightmare. "Don't l-leave me!"

"I will never." Helia managed to raise his arm and rub her cheek softly. "I p-promised, remember? I will be with you, _forever_ , Love."

"Y-you're l-lying…" Flora's tears fell all over his face. Her sobs almost prevented her from talking. "S-Stop lying to me!"

 _This can't be happening!_

"I'm not lying." Helia whispered. "I'll always be with you, no matter what."

A few-second silence fell between the two. Flora's tears kept falling all over his shirt; a feeling of guilt overwhelming her more than ever. "I-i-it's my fault…" Flora managed to say in between sobs. It was her fault. If she had not been so weak, Helia would not have been hit. If she had been strong, she would have defeated these bastards, she would have protected Helia, she would…

But she was not strong, and here were the results: the love of her life, her everything, her reason to live hit to death, bleeding, unable to pronounce a single word out loud due to pain.

"No, it is not!" Helia tried to say firmly, but it ended up into a groan of pain. Flora placed her gloved Enchantix hand on his wound hoping this would calm him down; this seemed to cool Helia's pain a little. But this did not cure him. "As long as you are safe, I would do anything."

"B-But I-I can't live without you Helia!" Flora's tears almost shocked her; she had great difficulties with breathing, but it did not matter to her. "Don't leave m-me, I'm begging y-you! Please!"

"Flora-" Helia tried to cut her off, but he did not have time to.

"You s-said you wanted to b-be the father of m-my children yesterday!" Flora almost yelled, but she couldn't due to her sobs. "Y-You can't l-leave me!"

At this moment, he could not say anything against it. Of course he had wanted a future with her; of course he did not want to leave her, of course he wanted to stay with her and be a part of her future, this was everything he could have asked for. But this was too late, and knowing it was to protect her made everything worth it. Helia gave her a hint of a smile.

"Flora." Helia grabbed the back of her head and pressed their forehead together tenderly. Flora's tears were falling all over his face, but he did not mind. As long as Flora was with him, he couldn't mind for anything. "I love you. You mean everything to me. My princess."

"I-I love you too… I love you so much Helia!" Flora held him closer to her. "P-please… stay with m-me, I can't live without you!"

"I-I'm sorry…" Helia whispered, knowing these were going to be his last words; his breathe had become too difficult and too irregular to last much longer. The pain he previously felt on his neck and on his chest was cooling down, but he knew it was not because he was cured. Everything was turning black all around him, and he smiled at the thought of seeing her face as his last image…

" _HELIA_!"

* * *

"My son." Aniello said while standing up next to his son's grave. His body could be seen under the glass coffin; they had changed the clothes he was wearing with his ceremony ones, and they had placed his golden sword in between his hands.

But he was not there anymore.

Flora knew the King was being very strong at this moment. For having rubbed shoulders with the royal family for long, she knew that at this moment, he wanted to cry. But he did not. He was just watching at his son's lifeless body, delivering his speech with a broken voice to his people, mourning… and all because of her.

It was her fault.

"You've been the pride of our family." Aniello added. "You've always been yourself, no matter the situation. You loved everybody, you never felt like being superior, and this made you the most unique prince Linfea had never had, and the best son I could ever have asked for."

 _And the best man of the universe._ Flora thought as she tried to keep her tears, but failed miserably as the picture of his body falling on her arms kept repeating on her mind over and over without interruption.

"No matter what happens in the future, you will always be my pride, my joy, my only son, and nothing in the world could change this." Helia's glass coffin was then lift up by four guards and placed on a pedestal, in this cavern where it would be kept forever.

Flora had never felt like being shocked by her tears as much as now. As if the loss of her everything was not enough, she had to watch Aniello and Maia, those she not only considered as friends but also as other guardians, go through this struggle and sadness, all because of her.

She did not deserve to be here.

As everyone began to follow the King and the Queen, Flora turned heels and began to walk away. She soon managed to get out of the crowd, but she felt someone grabbing her wrist. She did not have to turn around to smell Felicia's scent.

"Flora-"

"Leave me, Felicia!" Flora yelled at her best friend, who at first did not listen and tried to come closer to her.

"Flora, you can't be left alone right now. Come with me, well-"

"LEAVE ME!" Flora yelled even louder. Felicia recoiled from a few steps; _great_ , Flora scared her.

"I-I-I'm so sorry F-Fily, I-I-I did not mean t-to-"

"No, it's okay Flo, I'll leave you alone." Felicia said with a sad smile on her face. "If you need anything, remember I'm here, okay?"

Flora quickly nodded and started walking away alone towards the forest. She soon reached this spot, _their_ spot, in which they used to meet from the moment they had become friends. It was the only place she needed to be in at that moment.

She couldn't refrain anymore and fell onto her knees. Rain started to heavily pour down, but it was the last thing Flora would care about at that moment. She did not try to keep her tears for herself anymore, as her cries echoed all between the trees which started to lose their colours, following her into her sadness and desperation.

Never had the world seemed so cold and rejecting; no mattered how many people would support her through her sadness, never had she felt so alone before.

* * *

"Honey, why don't you come down to eat?" Alyssa asked her daughter while standing on her room's entrance. Flora was sitting on her bed, staring at the nothingness in front of her. She did not answer her mother, who walked towards her and sat next to her.

The family was still wearing their black clothes, the same they had been wearing for the funerals. After finding Flora into the forest, Alyssa and Rollos decided they could not let their daughter be alone; this thought scared them. They brought her back to their house, and she immediately went into her room in which she locked herself for what seemed like hours to them, but minutes to her.

When Alyssa heard her door finally being unlocked, she had decided she should go and talk to her daughter, because this was what she needed the most at that moment.

"Flora, my darling."

"It was my fault." Was the only thing Flora could whisper. She could not think about anything else. It was her fault. Helia was gone now, and she was the only one responsible for this.

"It was not, Flora." Alyssa told her daughter as she wrapped one of her arm around her shoulder and bringing her into a side-embrace.

 _Helia would have done the same._ Flora thought. It was true; each time Flora was in her lowest moments, Helia would have wrapped a protective arm around her shoulder, promising her she would be okay no matter what because he would still be with her.

Flora had never felt so guilty before. She felt so bad about bringing her mother in such a situation. "I'm sorry, mom." Flora whispered, as Alyssa tightened her embrace.

"It's okay, my darling." Alyssa whispered with a hint of a smile. "It's okay, I understand."

"I wish he could be here." Flora said. This time she did not even find the strength neither to cry nor to speak loudly. She just sat there next her mother holding her, trying to sooth her. Suddenly, she started to feel dizzy, and couldn't keep herself steady as she began to fall on her side, onto her mother.

"I know my darling." Her mother said. "Listen-" Alyssa was cut off when she felt her daughter's body falling in her arms. At first thinking she had fallen asleep, she realized this was something more serious than this.

"Rollos!" Alyssa screamed. "Come here, Flora fainted!"

* * *

After having spent almost seven hours on the hospital chamber without hearing any news concerning the results of the blood analysis, Rollos decided to go out of the room to search for a doctor. He found one, but this doctor did not seem to be concerned about Flora's state nor Rollos questions; he seemed more interested by his notepad.

"Why did she faint?" Rollos firmly asked the doctor. His daughter was still in the hospital chamber, lying on her side, with her mother playing with her hair. She had woken up around one or two hours before, but she had not said a word since, or even made a single move. It felt like she could not think anymore, as if she had no capacity left.

"We think it's the illness of Broken Hearts." The doctor replied lamely while taking notes on his notepad. "She's lost her boyfriend-"

"Fiancé." Rollos corrected him firmly. All the people of Linfea knew that Flora and Helia were way more than girlfriend and boyfriend, and that their relationship was almost a ten-year one. He could not believe the doctor took this case so passively.

"Whatever." The doctor sighed and shrugged. This only managed to enrage Rollos more. "Anyways, she's just very sad because of this."

 _Just?_ Rollos's anger began to grow up while seeing this doctor talking about her daughter as if losing her fiancé who died in her arms protecting her was nothing, just a casualty, and as if Flora's sadness was just a temporary sadness, as if nothing important happened. But he decided he had to remain calm; he did not want to fight. "Isn't there anything to do for this? I mean, this illness is supposed to be very rare and dangerous."

"We've got a remedy." The doctor replied still without lifting his eyes from his notepad. Rollos expected to hear a " _But it's not available for everybody_.", instead, it came out as a "We'll try this, but it's only because she was the girlf-" Finally noticing Rollos's glare, he corrected himself "-fiancée of the prince."

"What's this remedy?" Rollos asked protectively; he could not let them try everything on his daughter if he did not know what it was. The doctor sighed. "It's a remedy that erases the memory."

"What do you mean "erases the memory"?" The father's voice was becoming more and more firm. He was getting impatient, and this doctor's behaviour did not help him calm down at all; this doctor that kept ignoring him and talking about her daughter as if she was exaggerating on the extent of her sadness.

"Everything's in the words, sir."

"I'm not a stupid." Rollos rolled his eyes. "Which memory does it erase? Will she be amnesiac?"

"No, she won't." The doctor finally took away his pen and notepad, making Rollos think he'd eventually look at him and become more respectful. Instead he took out his phone and began tapping a phone number on it. "She'll just forget about her… "fiancé"."

Before Rollos could add anything, the doctor turned his back to him and began walking away. "We'll start giving this medicine to her tonight. Don't last too long tonight, she'll need rest."

* * *

"What did the doctor say?" Alyssa asked her husband who came back into the room. Flora pretended to have fallen asleep so she could hear her parents talking to each other about her situation without being told lies, even though she did not really care about this anymore.

"It's worse than we thought." Rollos sighed and began playing with his daughter's hair too. "Illness of the broken hearts."

"What?!" Alyssa turned hurriedly her head towards Rollos, who sighed. "They said they are going to start giving her the treatment tonight."

"How can a treatment help her go through this?" Alyssa asked bitterly; this bitterness was not towards her husband at all, and he thankfully knew this. Alyssa was angry towards the doctors, who did not even bother coming to them to explain what was going on. "This illness can be deadly, they know this? How can a potion save our daughter?"

"She will forget. It's the only solution." Rollos said with a sad sigh, as his wife caressed their daughter's hair tenderly. Flora did not have time to understand what all this was about, because sleep finally took her over, in a dream where she and Helia could be together.

* * *

Rollos and Alyssa entered the room like every morning in the last three months, with a box of white chocolates, the brunette's favourite ones. Flora was still sleeping soundly, and the two tried to remain discreet as they placed the box on the night table and sat on two different chairs.

Flora's illness seemed to be very difficult and slow to cure; for three months she had kept taking the treatment, and for three months she kept remembering Helia; and Rollos did not know if this angered or saddened him. Saddened, because his daughter was still in the same state of sadness and incapacity of doing anything on her own. Angered, because he wondered if this so-called "treatment" was really a treatment.

From what the doctor had told him, this medicine was applied on her because she was supposed to marry the prince, but Rollos had started doubting it months before. The illness of broken hearts was very rare, and the fact this doctor talked about Flora as if catching this was a casualty was maybe planned to have Rollos believe they had the situation under control, so they could test the new product on Flora.

Hearing his daughter mumble, he shook his head and smiled at Flora who slowly woke up and started sitting up. But things did not turn as what he would have expected, when Flora yelled at them to go out of her room...

* * *

"What's going on?" Rollos angrily asked the same doctor who did tell him about the treatment three months before. This time he was _not_ going to stay calm; not now that his daughter was in danger.

"What's wrong, sir?" Never had Rollos felt like being a pain in the neck for someone. He did not even bother to lift his look from his computer –which was not surprising considering his behaviour the day before-, and had not even stopped taping on the keyboard. Rollos closed the laptop and made sure the doctor looked at him in the eyes and would see how angry he was.

"My daughter's amnesiac. You said she would not be!"

"What do you mean by "amnesiac"?"

"What do you think I would mean?!" Rollos was way more angry that the day before. "She does not remember us! She has forgotten everything!"

"Maybe she had a nightmare." The doctor said. "It's not possible to turn to be amnesiac overnight."

"Or maybe your damn treatment did this!" Rollos yelled. "Did you test it on my daughter?"

"I-"

"What's going on, sir?" A woman asked Rollos with a concerned look on her face.

"Ask your colleague!" Rollos firmly told the woman doctor, who then turned her look to her comrade.

"What's going on?"

"Don't worry, I'll take care of it." He said, but Rollos did not want to hear more of his getting-on-nerve voice. He turned to the woman. "No, I want explanations. Why is my daughter amnesiac?"

"Amnesiac?" The woman asked. "Did she remember you yesterday?"

"Yes, she did!"

"What did you give her?" She asked her colleague this time, and her tone had turned to be graver.

"The treatment for the illness." The man replied while opening his laptop once again. His colleague seemed shocked and angry, as she roughly took the laptop out of his hands.

"Who told you to give this to her?!"

"No one." He shrugged. "She has the illness of broken hearts; we give her the treatment against illness of broken hearts. That's it."

"But we did tell you not to!" She screamed at him, and this time, he reacted and recoiled. "Are you the only one not knowing Flora and the prince knew each other since childhood?! By giving her this treatment, you made her forget everything from the moment the two met! Of course she'd be amnesiac, idiot!"

"W-What?"

"I'm sorry." The woman turned to Rollos again and lowered her head. "We'll make sure she stops drinking the potion, it will be a matter of hours for her memory to come back."

"Then, what can cure her?" Rollos sadly asked. He was starting to lose every hope of seeing his daughter smile once again.

"Time." The doctor sighed. "Only time can mend such a broken heart."

* * *

"Hello honey." Flora whispered as she placed the red rose next to his grave. She would never admit it, but at this moment, she wished he would open his eyes and reply.

She imagined him waking up, sitting up, offering her half a smile, this smile which he used to give to her and her only, opening his arms for her, holding her tightly, running the tip of his fingers all over her face to remove possible bangs, looking down at her with a tender smile on the lips, with eyes full of love only meant of her, then kissing her lips tenderly, a kiss in which she would taste every inch of his beautiful and honey-tasting lips, while he would place his hands on her back to keep her close to his own body, in an embrace which would take her away, in a place where the world would not exist anymore, where only her and Helia would exist, where they would have the right for their future.

She imagined a ray of light going through the wall as the two would suddenly get dressed in white, he would make her dance under the sounds of nature only, he would then carry her away bridal style walking down the aisle, taking her back on their own world, on their own future in which they could be together.

But Helia did not move.

Flora sighed and knelt next to the grave. Through the glass she could see his face; no tension, no anxiousness. He was just resting peacefully, or at least she hoped. "I wanted to say goodbye. I'm going to Alfea."

 _That's great, I'm sure you'll be the best._ Helia would have said, Flora thought. He would never have tried to hold her back; he would have let her go, as long as she remained happy; no mattered if it meant just leaving a letter to her parents and friends and running away, which was what she just did. She sighed and kept staring at his face. "I need to do something. Do you understand, honey?"

 _Of course, as long as you'll get better._ He would have answered with a wink, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and keeping her close to him.

"Don't worry, I'll come back to see you." Flora said, even though she knew he couldn't hear her. She just felt the need to tell this to him, as if he would feel mad at her for leaving. But she knew he wouldn't be mad… right?

"I miss you." Flora felt tears starting to gather once again on her eyes. It was hurting her too much; this was why she decided not to keep them anymore. Her teardrops fell onto the glass and broke into millions of particles; the same number as the pieces of her broken heart. "I wish you could be with me right now."

Hearing footsteps behind her, she quickly stood up and gave her Helia a last look. "Goodbye, honey."

 _I'll always love you._ She thought before stepping out of the carven, without noticing Maia staring at her ex-daughter in law going away with a sad expression.

* * *

"So, do you remember?" Helia asked his beloved. She did not answer nor move any of her body parts. She just remained like this, on this hospital bed, her body connected to heart monitor and drips.

Helia sighed and kissed her fingers tenderly. "Please, Love. Tell me you remember."

His only answer was the beeping of the heart monitor. Helia did not say anything after this. He remained sitting on the chair, holding Flora's hand in his, staring at her pale and calm face. He wished she would just be sleeping; she would just be waiting for her alarm clock…

But she was not.

* * *

 **I hope you liked this chapter. I know it was very depressing, but you know what happened after this! This is the end of the flash-backs, the next chapter will be a return to the main story.**

 **Then, I wanted to deliver an announcement. This story is soon going to end, and I started reflecting about what to do after Her Red Rose. At first I was reflecting on another story, but none of the ideas I came with pleased me. Then, I decided I would write a sequel to Her Red Rose. I have the whole plot written (almost chapter per chapter). I won't develop the whole plot here, because it would spoil the end of this fanfic, but this sequel will contain: a new character, the return of another one, a wedding, a rebellion, a war, and other troubles. But the story will still focus on FloraxHelia, of course! So, no worries, Her Red Rose will not end so soon! I came out with several titles:**

 _ **Amaranth**_ **(meaning immortality)**

 _ **White Hellebore**_ **(which, in white, means proposal)**

 _ **Blue pansy**_ **(meaning believing in love)**

 **For now my favourite is** **Amaranth** **, but if you like another more, tell me! I'll try to think of other ones, I'll tell you in the next chapter!**

 **See you, and once again, thanks for your reviews!**


	16. Chapter 16

**Once again everyone I'd like to thank you for you reviews, they always make my day! And thank you for the votes about the title of the sequel; for now, _Blue Pansy_ and _Amaranth_ are the favorite ones. Actually, I still like _Amaranth_ more, but your opinions about this are still welcomed!**

 **So, I'm warning, the next chapter will MAYBE be the shortest of this fic, because it will be a sort of transition chapter leading to chapter 18 and chapter 19, the final ones for this first fic. So, chapter 17 might be posted very soon. I've already written almost 2,000 words for Chapter 18 (and yes, chapter 17 is not written yet), and I have not even written half of it.**

 **Anyway, have a good reading with this chapter!**

* * *

 **CHAPTER 16**

Helia did not know how much time had passed, but this was the last thing that bothered him. He just wanted to stay here, to keep an eye on her to make sure she'd be okay.

Suddenly, he felt someone tapping him on his shoulder. Looking up, he saw Rollos and Alyssa. He had been so focused on staring at Flora that he did not hear them enter the room. "It's good to see you, kid."

"I'm glad to see you to, Rollos, Alyssa." Helia said with a small smile as Alyssa placed an arm around his shoulders for a small embrace. From the moment he had met Flora's parents as their possible son-in-law, they both had stopped treating him as a Prince –under his demand- and had begun acting casually with him, leading Rollos to call him "kid". They both were very nice, and he liked them a lot.

Rollos and Alyssa then turned their looks toward their daughter with sad expression replacing the relief ones when they had seen Helia.

"How is she?" Rollos asked Helia in a whisper. Helia sighed deeply.

"She has not moved since the surgery."

Alyssa walked towards the other side of the bed and sat next to her daughter and started playing tenderly with her hair. Rollos sighed and patted Helia's shoulder again. "Your parents are worried to death; they still do not know you gained your memory back."

Helia's eyes widened. "What do you mean?"

"Aniello saw a picture of you with… _them._ " Rollos said with another sigh. "They don't know yet they have been arrested, I did not have time to tell him."

"Oh…" Helia whispered, moving his look back to Flora with concern; he did not want her to be alone. He wanted to stay with her…

Alyssa noticed his nervous look, and almost read his mind. "Don't worry, you can visit your parents, we'll stay with her until she gets other visitors."

For the first time for long, Helia smiled at her in relief. "Thank you, I'll come back tonight."

* * *

Maia and Aniello, Helia's parents, the King and the Queen of Linfea, the best rulers the planet had ever known, were discussing about everything and nothing, while Maia was using a watering can to water her lilies, her favorite flowers. Helia was glad to see her mother had kept this beautiful garden of hers.

They were different than the last time he had seen them; his mother's skin was a little paler and her hair was a little shorter than before, and his father seemed to have lost a lot of weight as his armor seemed to have turned to be too big for him. Helia could not help wondering if this was his fault; if these changes occurred because… because of what happened.

Shaking his head to erase these thoughts, he took another step towards them. This time, Maia heard him and stared at him in disbelief. She dropped her watering can onto the floor, the water falling all over the grass around them. Helia did not know how much time had spent with the three standing still, his parents staring at him with shock onto their eyes.

Finally, Maia started walking towards him and hesitantly placed a hand on his cheek. "Is-" Maia gulped her tears before going on "I-Is it you, Helia?"

Helia smiled tenderly at his mother, tears of relief and hope starting rolling on her pale cheeks. "Of course it's me, mom."

Recognizing her son's voice, Maia sighed in relief and hugged him tightly, as tightly as she could despite her small size in comparison with her son's. Helia hugged back with a smile. He remembered how he and his mother had always been very close; each time he had troubles or problems, he would always go to his mother first. She was the one who had taught him how to paint when he was a child, and she was the one who taught him how to be so calm, so understanding and so forgiving.

His relationship with his father was different. He loved his father very much, and so did his father with his son, but their relationship was more of a discreet one. Aniello always showed signs of affections towards his son in public, but they seemed more like a King appreciating the Prince. He instead became a real father when no one could see them. He had always liked teasing his son, shuffling his hair, and sending him jokes about anything, any subject that would cross his mind, and even more when Flora entered his love life. Helia never thought of changing father, because he loved his very much.

The latter soon hesitantly reached his son and wife. After looking at Helia in the eyes, he wrapped his arms around them and, much to Helia's surprise, did not even try to hide his tears, breaking the image of the strongest man of the universe Helia had of him. "My son, we missed you so much."

Once again, guilt reached Helia's heart. He could not believe how much he had broken his parents, how vulnerable they looked like this, all because of _him_.

"I'm sorry mom, dad." Helia said with a sigh as his mother hugged him tighter and affectionately tapped the back of his head.

"It's okay, my baby. It's okay." Maia whispered in between sobs. She couldn't believe his son was really there, had really come back, had really been freed...

That her family was finally reunited.

* * *

"What did they do to you?" Maia asked Helia. The family had then entered the castle and walked towards their private living room, a room where the rulers could rest without being interrupted by anyone.

Helia had never understood why, but his father was the best when it came to making tea; this is why he let him do so. The three had sat on different armchairs drinking their cups, discussing about the time laps, Helia asking them about what had happened during the past year. After a few moment silence, Maia had asked this question to her son, and this latter sighed heavily.

"They erased my memory." He said as he stared at the tea left on his cup. "They pretended they were my friends, that we did not get along, that Flora…"

This time, Helia did not manage to continue. Thinking of his fiancée made his feeling of guilt and loss came back; he wanted to see her smile again, to hear her laugh again…

"What happened?" Aniello asked, but Helia did not find the strength to answer immediately, leaving his parents to imagine the situation by themselves. So, Aniello changed his question. "Where is Flora?"

Helia did not look at his father in the eyes, but this time, he replied. "At hospital."

 _And without me again._ He thought as this same strong feeling of guilt pierced his heart. On the one hand he was happy to see his parents, but on the other, he missed Flora more than anything at that moment. Maia understood this mixed feeling; so she hugged her son with hope this would comfort him.

 _He needed to see her._

* * *

 _ **Twelve days later**_

Helia felt guilty for not having gone to see Flora the day before. He had spent the ten days before with his beloved, talking to her as if she was able to answer him, holding her hand, kissing her cheek… unfortunately without any result, not even goose bumps or shivers. The doctors said the surgery they did on her had left her more than tired, and recovery would be long, but never would have Helia thought this would have been so long.

He had wanted to go and see her again, but he had promised his parents he would make another public appearance to reassure the Linfean people and inform them of his return; of course this was important for him too, his people had always been a part of his life and of his future. This was something he had to do.

But all throughout his parents' speech, he had not managed to focus. He had not stopped thinking about Flora, wondering if she was mad at him for having visited her. His parents-in-law had promised they would go to see her, and thankfully they did. This managed to cool down Helia a bit, knowing Flora had not been left all alone. But he could not forgive himself for having left her again.

In order to redeem himself, he had decided to bring her a present.

* * *

The road towards the hospital had never felt so long. Helia knew it was stupid, but he felt so guilty for not having come the day before. He wanted more than anything to prove her he would never leave her again, even though it was for his people to be reassured… Never had he felt so anxious during these twelve days, because he feared Flora would be angry at him.

But Flora would never feel angry for this… right?

As he finished climbing the stairs, he encountered one of the doctors who took care of Flora every day. She smiled politely when she saw him.

"Good morning, sire."

"Good morning." He replied with a polite smile of his own. "How is she?"

"Well, her situation remains stable. No big changes." She answered.

"Can I still see her?" He asked. Of course he could, but he did not know why, he needed to hear confirmation about this. The blonde doctor nodded.

"Of course, sire." She said, pointing at the brunette room as if it was the first time Helia came. "But she already has visitors; friends of hers."

"Really?" Helia asked with raised eyebrows. He thought Felicia would be on Oppositus right now…

Opening the door of Flora's room, he did not see Felicia at all but instead found five other girls, some he did not even know, who turned their heads at him as if he was an intruder.

"I'm sorry, I did not want to disturb." Helia said as he looked down at Flora. Next to her was a blonde woman he soon recognized Princess Stella of Solaria, and another one he knew was Princess Bloom of Domino thanks to her small bracelet carrying the emblem of the lost planet.

 _What are they doing here?_

"Don't worry." A chocolate-skinned woman whispered to him with a reassuring smile. Helia recognized Princess Layla, apparently Flora's new friend from what she had told him when Flora was under surgery. "We wanted to visit her to make sure she had company."

When the villains had been arrested, he and the others immediately transported Flora to the Linfean hospital, where she had spent almost six hours under surgery. During this time, Helia had stayed with Colin, Felicia and Layla. He was glad to know Colin and Felicia, two of his greatest friends, were there, and the two had welcomed him back warmly. Helia had felt guilty towards Colin for letting Veronica harm him, but his brother-in-law assured him it was okay. But he still had the after effects of Veronica's spell and the nurses offered him a room so he could sleep for a few hours until the end of the surgery, leaving him with Felicia and Layla.

There he had learnt about what happened to Flora during this time laps. Apparently, his fiancée had gone to Alfea to clear her mind after falling into depression and catching the Illness of Broken hearts, but ended up in being even more depressed because she missed him. Then, they had learnt he was alive, and Colin had gone with Arthur and Orlando -two of Helia and Flora's friends- to investigate, and when the two had managed to go back to Linfea to inform the army about their findings, Colin had been caught by Veronica, and the girls had decided to go to an appointment with the Witch to set him free, and free Helia from them in the process.

Helia had felt his heart squeeze when Layla had explained this to him; never had he felt so guilty in his entire life. He had made his friends and the woman he loved more than everything worry and risk their lives for him, and now were the results…

And his beloved was still lying without moving onto the bed, and Helia gulped as he looked down at her. "It's fine. I'm grateful for you to have kept her company."

"How are you feeling right now?" Layla asked him. Helia lifted his gaze from Flora to look at Layla.

"Okay?" Helia sighed and shrugged. "I guess I cannot feel good with my fiancée in a coma."

"I understand you." Layla said and her reassuring smile progressively disappeared. Helia noticed it, but decided to shift subject so he would ask possible embarrassing questions. "Did she move this morning?"

Layla shook her head. "No, she did not."

"Her heart monitor accelerated but came back to normal a minute after." A black-haired woman Helia did not know from Eve added.

"Musa, the doctor said it was because there was movement on the room." A purple-haired one he never saw either replied. "She felt it apparently."

"So, she might hear us when we talk to her?" Helia asked, with a sound of hope in his voice. He would never admit it, but at this moment, he interiorly begged for this to be true.

 _Please, tell me she can hear us…_

His hopes shattered as quickly as they had rose up when Bloom shook her head. "We don't know. She feels when there is a movement, but it is unsure if she can hear us or not."

"Oh." Helia replied as he lowered his head. He felt Layla's gaze on him, but it was for a short time, since she quickly turned to her friends and told them "Girls, why don't we leave them alone together? We have things to do at Alfea."

Helia looked at her and smiled in relief, understanding the princess wanted the couple to get some time alone and not really because they were busy. "We'll come back later."

"Thank you Layla." Helia whispered when the other girls left the room. He did not know if he could be more grateful to the princess at this precise moment. The door was not yet closed, and Helia could hear Stella's voice asking " _So, he's Helia? Flora's fiancé_?" and Bloom's replying " _Yes. He looks so sad; I hope she's soon going to wake up_."

"Don't worry" Layla replied to Helia with a grin. "You'll pay me back one day."

* * *

After all the girls went out and the couple were left alone, Helia sighed and sat next to Flora on the bed, and placed a red rose on the vase carefully placed on the night stand. "This is for you." He whispered, even though he knew she could not see the flower. When the rose finally kept steady on the vase, Helia took Flora's fingers in his hand once again and leant down towards her, so he could talk into her ear. "You brought me the same flower. Do you remember?"

And of course, Flora did not move. After a few moments, he sighed and tightened his grip on his beloved's hand.

"You know what, I've kept reflecting these past twelve days." Helia whispered. "I think the… _Witch_ would not have brought me to life alone. I think you helped her on this. Your presence was still near my grave, with your red rose. Even if she reset my memory, even if I couldn't remember you, your presence made my heart beat again. This makes you my reason to live, Flora." He brought her fingers to his lips and kissed them tenderly. "That's why I brought you a rose. Maybe you'll feel my presence when I'll be elsewhere too. So I'll never leave you anymore."

Helia stared at her unmoving body once again, without earning any response.

"Please, my love, wake up. I love you."

Still seeing no reaction from her, he closed her eyes and placed his forehead against their intertwined hands. He had not realized how exhausted he was before. He barely slept each night, and had almost stopped eating too; and this made him weaker than he had ever been.

And that was like this, thinking of his sweetheart, that he finally fell asleep, his head near hers, as if the two were sleeping together like before.

 _Helia…_

* * *

 _You are my reason to live too…_

Flora's eyes were blinded by the light of the room as she opened them. She had to close them several time to finally be able to distinguish things, and understand she was not in her own room, but in a hospital one.

She tried to sigh deeply in weariness and sadness, but she did not even have enough strength to do so. All of this had been a dream after all. She had never been to Alfea, she had never managed to get A grades, and… Helia was not alive. He had not told her such sweet things when she was sleeping; he had not come to see her…

It would have been way too good to be true.

But when she tried to sit up -which she managed to do after a few moments, making her realize she felt very weak-, she felt a weight on the left side on the bed. Looking down, she saw a heap of midnight hair over a beautiful pale face.

Was she still dreaming?

Or was Helia _really_ next to her, sleeping, waiting for her?

Then, her mind clicked. She remembered why she was there. She was not there under this potion that erased her memory given by a know-nothing doctor. She had gone out of this situation a long time ago.

 _So, this wasn't a dream?_

She hesitantly placed her hand on the back of Helia's head, caressing tenderly his head; this made him mumble. Flora gasped when she saw him move, but realized she could not move because of the… drips?

 _So, this was real._

Helia slowly lifted his head and rubbed his eyes before taking a look all around him, as if he had just realized he had fallen asleep onto her bed.

 _It is really him._ Flora thought with a smile as she watched his face, recognizing his beautiful features. Her heart started beating faster, and her heart monitor followed its rhythm.

Hearing this accelerating sound of the machine, his look then turned and stared at her as if he did not see her, but his mind seemed to click after watching her eyes for a few seconds. His brows narrowed a little, and Flora could not help outlining a smile at this.

 _Helia was really there._

"F-Flora?"

The latter smiled brightly. "Hey."

Helia did not move immediately, but then sighed in relief and held her as tightly as he could, while trying not to harm her nor knock her down. "Love, you're back!"

Flora felt a sharp pain running all over her body when one of his arms involuntarily brushed against the wound on her back, but the feeling of his warmth and the smell of his scent made her forget about this as she hugged him with almost as much strength.

"I-I thought you'd n-never-"

"Shhh." Flora whispered as she heard Helia's voice breaking again. This sound of sadness in hisvoice made her worst memory coming back to her, when he had fallen into her arms, so weak, so lost, after having been manipulated by these… _bastards_!

Her hands gripped onto her shirt as she tried to wipe away this thought. She did not want to remember this, not now Helia was back to her, not now that the two finally reunited. "I'm here, now." She whispered as he held her tighter. "I'm never leaving you anymore."

Helia did not reply but only gulped, and Flora understood he was trying to keep his tears for himself. "So please, promise me…"

The brunette felt tears climbing into her eyes too, as this time, memories from the past years came back; these feelings of living without him by her side, of seeing him dead… "P-promise me you'll n-never leave me a-anymore, okay?"

"I won't, I won't, I swear I won't." Helia kept repeating as he grip got tighter and tighter as time went by. "I'll never leave you, I-Just I can't believe you're here, Flora, I-"

"I heard you." Flora used a hand to grip his soft hair. "I heard everything you told me."

"R-Really?" Helia exclaimed as he leant back quickly, staring at her wide-eyed. Flora could clearly see his eyes were wet, and this made her heart squeeze. Of course she had seen Helia cry before, but the situations always were slightly… _different._

Flora nodded as she cupped her face in her hands tenderly; this gesture not only hurt her back a lot, but her arms too. She still felt very weak, but it did not matter, because Helia was with her. "I heard everything. I love you too, Helia. You are also my reason to live, you've always been."

"I missed you so much." Was the only thing Helia managed to say as he held her once again, this time in a tenderer embrace. Flora buried her head into his shoulder and smiled. "A-And what about me? Can you imagine how lonely I felt during this year without you? How much I wanted to see you again?" She whispered, and Helia placed a hand behind her head to keep her closer to him.

"I'm so sorry." He kissed her temple. "You'll never be alone anymore. _Never._ "

Flora pushed him a little so she could look at him in the eyes. "Kiss me, please."

Helia did not wait for her to finish; he moved his hand from her back to cup her face and kissed her with a fiery passion. Flora wrapped her arms around his chest as the kiss deepened; both were trying to show the other how much love their carried, how much they thought they had lost, how much they had missed each other, how much they needed each other more than anything to live from now on.

"Look how cute they are!" They broke away from the kiss –without leaving each other's arms- and turned around to encounter Stella, surrounded by Tecna and Bloom glaring at her.

"Stella, you interrupted them!" Musa elbowed the princess.

"Sorry." The blonde fairy said with a smirk. "I couldn't resist."

The couple giggled; Helia let go of Flora and stood up, leaving her hand at the very last moment, wanting to keep the feeling her touch. "I'll see the doctors." He said.

"I'm glad to see you alive, Flo'." The princess of Andros whispered as she held Flora in her arms. Flora smiled brightly, happy to see her friend again.

"It's good to see you, girls." Flora whispered as Layla stepped back so Musa hugged her tightly in her turn. Looking above the music fairy's shoulder, she watched as Helia left the room with a bright smile on his face to tell the doctors she had woken up, as the brightest of the smiles appeared on her own.

 _His Flora was finally back._

 _Her Helia was finally back._

* * *

 **I hope you liked this chapter! I had hard time writing it, but I still hope it ended up being a good one for you. Yes, Flora is finally back! Like I said at the beginning, chapter 17 will be a transition chapter only focusing on Flora and Helia, but you'll see when you'll read it (Right now, I'm really thrilled with finishing Chapter 18!)!**

 **See you on the next chapter!**


	17. Chapter 17

**Hello everybody, I'm back! I made up my mind and the sequel will be called _Amaranth_! I cannot give you the plot yet, but I'll deliver it on chapter 19! :)  Remember this will contain a new character, the return of another one, a wedding, a rebellion, a war, and other troubles.  
**

 ** _Winxkate:_ Thank you for your comment! Yes, she's awake, and I had a lot of troubles bringing it! I'm glad you still like this story!**

 _ **Lostmirage**_ **: Thanks a lot! It's so sweet! :)** **  
**

 _ **Princesspityparty**_ **: Thanks for your review, it's so nice!  
**

 _ **Divineicefairy**_ **: Thanks! I hope you'll like this one too! :)**

 **So** **no, after all, this is not the shortest chapter! I'm glad you've liked it until now, we're soon reaching the end of this fanfic!**

 **CHAPTER** **17**

Flora was discharged from hospital six days after her awakening. During these days, she received numerous visitors; the Winx had come back to visit her and had spent hours playing cards with her; Flora would never have thought Stella could be such a poor loser. Surprisingly, when Flora thought Tecna would be the one winning since she spent almost 2 minutes reflecting each time it was her, Musa won. Stella's hypocritical reaction made Flora burst out laughing.

She also saw Felicia, who had come back from Oppositus during her week-end especially to see her. Colin, Silicya -her sister-in-law- and her parents visited her too, bringing her chocolate and spending hours discussing with her casually.

And of course, Helia had stayed with her every day, and only left to change outfits or to take showers when she had other visitors; he also joined her in her room during some nights when she would wake up from nightmares where she would see the past back and call him to make sure he was still there. During the day, he was always there to help her walking when she wanted to go out in the gardens to breathe or even when she wanted to go downstairs to the cafeteria to eat something else than the hospital dishes.

Her wound was still hurting sharply when she tried to lean in order to pick up something that had fallen on the floor or when she was making some abrupt movements, but when she had found herself able to walk without a cane or without anybody else's help, the doctors decided she would feel better out of hospital and back on her home. Flora did not wait and jumped on the occasion to finally go away from this building and return where she lived. She did not know why, but they advised her to wear derbies, in which she would have to add an ach supporter for her back not to hurt when she would walk. She usually was not fond of this kind of shoes, but she decided to follow the doctor's advices and had to admit they were sort of right; her back was a little less unsettling, and she could remain standing up for a little bit longer. She tied her hair in a braid with an elastic bang decorated with a big rose and decided to wear these shoes with her favorite mid-sleeve blue dress; and she realize after putting it in that this color symbolized _liberty_. Maybe Helia's poet spirit did influence her a lot, after all.

From the moment she put her foot on the pavement of the street in front of the hospital, Flora felt free; being able to feel again the contact of nature she had missed, even though she felt tired, really tired, this was why Helia decided he would have been the one filling the papers necessary for her exit, since he was the one knowing her best.

Helia had joined her around ten minutes after, carrying her suitcase, and intertwined the fingers of his free hand with hers with Flora's head rested on his shoulder. The fresh air filled her nose and cleaned her lungs up; and the world around her seemed way more big that ever; an endless world she wanted to re-explore. But right now, was she wanted more was to rest next to Helia, this was why the two had sat on a bench for a few minutes, until Helia reminded her desire to go and see her parents, something she had decided she would do from the moment she would go out.

Helia feared something would happen to her if she went there alone; he decided he would accompany her to make sure she reached her parents' house safely.

"Flora!" Alyssa exclaimed when she saw her daughter and her son-in-law reaching the entrance of the house. She took her daughter in her arms tightly. "You're finally out?"

Flora nodded, and then hugged her father who came out of the house to greet his daughter under his wife's calls. "Yeah, they freed me this morning."

"That's great!" Alyssa said as she freed Helia from a short embrace she gave him. "Colin, Silicya and Miele are here too, this will be a family reunion!"

* * *

"Hello Miele, do you recognize me? I'm Auntie Flora." Flora said to the one year-old little girl who hid behind her mother's legs with a sly little smile. Miele had grown up a lot in such a little bit of time; she now was able to stand up on her own, had a lot more hair turning from little blonde hair to a very light red mass that her parents had managed to tie up into a small pony-tail; the little girl got her father's emerald eyes and little nose, and had Silicya's red hair and pale complexion.

The brunette tried to kneel in front of her niece and hold her arms out for her for a hug, but her back started hurting once again when she was half-way, making her stand up quickly to cool the pain down.

"Are you alright?" Silicya asked, her arms rose towards the brunette so she could help her if she felt bad. This was something she liked about her sister-in-law; her selflessness, which was the reason why Colin had fallen in love with her in the first place. Flora nodded.

"Yeah, my back is still hurting but I feel better now."

"Don't push yourself too hard." The red-haired said. "It's already good to see you walking alone like this, don't worsen the situation."

"Thank you." Flora replied, glancing at the scene taking place behind her, where Helia was talking with his in-laws. "But I have to admit, without Helia it would be more difficult."

"I can imagine." She said. "It's good to see you two are still in love."

Flora gave her a hint of a smile, turning into a full one when she felt a pair of strong arms wrapped around her shoulders. Silicya smiled brightly and took her daughter in her arms, giving her to Rollos in the process before joining her husband to help him in the kitchen.

"What were you three talking about?" Flora asked Helia. He kissed her temple tenderly and whispered.

"They thanked me." Flora raised her eyebrows, but let Helia continue. "For taking care of you."

Flora sighed, making Helia's heart beat faster in fear of possibly having done something wrong, but the grin she gave him seconds after made his body shiver with relief. "I'm sorry. I have not thanked you for everything you've done for me lately."

"No, you don't have to." Helia's lips collided with her temple again and whispered the last part of his answer in her ear. "You'll offer me a big big kiss later."

Flora playfully rolled her eyes. "Listen to yourself. Cheesy as ever."

Helia tightened his grip onto her. "But you like it."

"No." Flora said as she stuck out her tongue at him.

"What are you doing to my daughter?" Rollos asked with a fake loud voice; this made Flora and Helia laugh.

"I'm kidnapping her." Helia joked, having Flora sticking her tongue out at him again. Rollos and Alyssa laughed.

"Do you want to lunch with us, Helia?" Flora's mother asked with a smile while the young man kept holding Flora from behind, his arms wrapped around her shoulders. Flora had always felt a little embarrassed when they were like this because it had always made her realize how small she was next to him –after all, she barely reached his shoulder-. Each time they had stood like this in front of friends, they would always exclaim "You're small Flora!" or "smaller is beautiful", which would make Helia laugh and Flora reply "I'm not small, Helia is just too tall for me."

But at this moment she surprisingly did not mind at all standing in this position.

"As long as I'm not disturbing…" Helia replied.

"You've never disturbed us, kid." Rollos patted his shoulder affectionately. "It will be a way to celebrate your return too."

* * *

Five hours later, Flora and Helia left the brunette's parent house. Lunch had ended early, but the couple had stay at the house with the family, chatting and discussing about everything and nothing. But 7p.m. was time for Miele's nap, so the couple decided they should leave them alone.

The two were at this moment back onto their spot on the forest, with her head lying on his shoulder and her arms wrapped around his chest, while he had one of his around her shoulders. The two were under silence; a perfect silence, as she listened to his slow yet powerful heartbeats mixed with his breathing; the best of lullabies.

"I have a surprise for you." Helia finally said with a smile. Flora smiled even more brightly and looked up for her gaze to meet his. "Don't worry, it's not scary."

"But I'm scared anyway."

Helia kissed the top of her head. "I see you still have faith in me."

"Always did." Flora replied as Helia laughed. He stood up and grabbed her hands so she could stand next to him. He placed one of his hands on her waist and took a blindfold out his pocket.

"What are you doing?" She asked when Helia placed it over her eyes.

"You'll see later." He whispered as he placed one of his hands under her legs to carry her bridal style.

"Hey!" She scolded him, but only earned a chuckle in return. "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."

Flora sighed, but soon gave up and leant into his warm embrace as he started walking.

* * *

Flora did not know how many time had between the moment they left the forest and the moment when they finally reached the destination Helia wanted. He put her feet back on the floor, which Flora understood to be grass.

When the blindfold was removed, Flora sighed at the picture before her and smiled. He had brought her back to the house she had lived in for several years, in the middle of a small land covered with bed roses and little gardens. But something clicked on her mind. "Why did you all it a "surprise"?"

Helia seemed so proud that it was obvious he was hiding something. "Did you open the door?"

Flora rolled her eyes and did as she was told. When she entered, she saw that the table was set. Two plates were placed on each edge with two red napkins under; they were surrounded with candles, and the whole table was covered with rose petals.

Flora's heart skipped a beat. So, this surprise he was planning was a dinner with no one else around than the both of them. This was exactly what she needed.

 _He knew her so well._

"When did you prepare all of this?" Flora was quite surprised about it. Helia stood next to her and crossed his arms.

"This morning, when you were getting prepared for leaving hospital." He kissed her temple tenderly. "What do you take me for?"

"For a darling, honey." She answered and kissed his cheek. "Thank you, thank you so much."

* * *

"I don't think I've ever eaten so much." Flora said as she fell heavily on the sofa of her old house. Helia laughed and joined her.

"Explains a lot." He smirked. She looked up at him.

"What does that mean?"

"I did not say anything." He said as he wrapped an arm around her waist to bring her close to him.

"Of course you did not." She replied as she leant her head on his shoulder. His buttoned up white shirt was a very light one, and this helped her feeling the warmth of his body against her cheek. The two remained there in silence for a few moments, before Flora suddenly moved and sat on his lap, so she could hug him.

"What are you doing?" He asked.

"I want to hug you." She whispered as she buried her face on his neck. He held her tightly.

"I did not say you could hug me."

"But I owe you a "big big kiss", remember." Flora quoted him with a smirk after rolling her eyes.

Helia grabbed her face and brought his lips to hers. As the kiss grew deeper, he slid his hand on her back to rub it, but went too high soon felt her stiffen. He took his hand away, but Flora stopped him.

"No, it's okay." Flora smiled. "It just hurts a little."

"I'm so sorry Love, I've forgotten-"

"I told you it was okay." Flora whispered as she kissed him again. "I liked where your hand was."

Helia's face broke into a mischievous smile as he placed his fingers between her strands of hair, untying her braid. Her hair fell like a cascade all over her leaned body, almost hiding their faces in the process when their lips collided together passionately again. Her hands gripped his shirt on the shoulders tightly, a passion she had not felt for long.

After a few minutes, Helia placed his hand on the crook of her back, making it arch, letting his kisses fall onto her collarbone. Flora moaned softly when she felt his hot, warm breathe on her skin turning into a pressure of his tender lips moving from her collarbone to her neck slowly, maybe too slowly for Flora, since she grabbed his hair with her fingers as he moved up.

Hearing her groan, he move back his head and anxiously looked up at her. "W-what?"

"P-please." Flora whispered, and Helia understood quickly what she meant. His anxiousness disappeared and he placed his lips back where they were. He this time applied a more proper pressure, and moved his hands under her legs. Flora gasped; but quickly realized what he was going to do when he kissed her lips again. Her arms moved from his shoulders to around his neck when he stood up and carried her up, climbing the stairs towards her bedroom without breaking their lip lock for any second.

He knelt on the bed still with Flora on his arms, making sure she would not fall too abruptly and hurt herself when he laid her down slowly. The soft feeling of the sheets beneath her did not cause any pain, nor did Helia's kisses on her jaw line.

"Helia." Flora whispered softly as her hands came back on gripping his hair. Helia was glad he still had this effect on her; he was glad to still be the one kissing her lips, touching her body, making her moan this way… He smiled and took her lips once again, pouring all the love and affection he felt for her in it.

"I love you so much." He whispered with their lips parted by not even a centimeter. Flora placed her hand on his neck and brought him into another kiss.

"I love you more." She replied in a whisper sliding her hands under his shirt and he did the same under her dress. Their cuddle soon turned into a special one as tongues got involved, their hands began exploring and their bodies started battling for dominance onto the bed.

They were already far away from their first time, but this session was going to be another special one.

 _Because they were finally reunited._

* * *

Helia let out a long sigh when he let himself fall next to her on the bed; both of them were panting heavily, their abdomen rising up and down quickly.

Flora painfully turned to lie on her side and looked at him. "Hold me please. I want to feel you close to me." Flora asked in a whisper. He obliged without any hesitation and wrapped an arm around her, bringing her close to his bare chest. She rested her cheek against it, listening again to this soft melody of his heartbeats.

Flora smiled, as her eyes fell down on his neck, then onto his chest, where the scar was still present. She used the tip of her thumb to rub against it, but Helia took her hand and kissed her fingers. "Do not worry about it anymore. Leave it in the past."

"It will be hard." Flora said with a sigh, but smiled again after a few moments. "But now, you're back."

Helia tightened his grip on her fingers. "I am back, and we're together. We'll forever be, Love."

Flora kissed his nose and repeated what he said. "Forever."

Helia smiled in return. "I'll never leave you anymore. We have a future to think about, remember?"

Flora's grin grew wider. "What are you planning for our future?"

Helia kissed her right hand once again, but this time, he focused on kissing her middle finger with a more important pressure.

"Marry me." His lips moved to her forehead, then her cheek, trailing a long burning line towards her ear, where he whispered: "Next week."

Flora waited a few seconds and stood on her elbow. She planted a short kiss onto his lips, making sure the feeling of her lips would remain on his and that he would still feel it when she leant back. This feeling he liked more than everything was nothing compared to the best answer he could have asked for; it was short, it was quick, but the content made everything _._ This short answer brought him the highest rate of happiness back.

"Yes."

* * *

 **Even if this chapter 17 was a transition, I hope you still liked it.** **So, now you can guess what's chapter 18 going to be about! I'm really in a hurry to publish the next chapter, I think it'll come on Saturday. I think it will be the longest chapter, because right now not even half is written and I almost reached the 2,000 words. Chapter 18 is not going to be the final one, there will be a chapter 19 preparing for the sequel!  
**

 **If you want, you can go on the wikia website of Winx to check what Silicya looks like. She's beautiful!**

 **See you on the next chapter!**


	18. Chapter 18

_**Winxkate:**_ **Thank you so much for your sweet review, it is so kind! Well, you'll see about the new character, but this is a good theory!**

 ** _Divineicefairy_ : Thanks a lot, it was really sweet! I read this fanfic too, but we cannot blame the author, he/she might be busy for not updating!  
**

 **Here we are, the chapter 18 of Her red rose, the chapter before the last one! For once, I'll be asking for reviews at the end, because I'd really like to read your opinions about this chapter.**

 **DISCLAIMER: I do not own the song** _ **For the dancing and dreaming**_ **from** _ **How to train your dragon 2**_

 **CHAPTER 18**

The royal wedding ended up being the hugest ceremony Linfea had never known.

Flora barely recalled this moment when she was three years-old, when Aniello and Maia had gotten married. Rollos and Alyssa had of course been invited, and Flora remembered she had come too. When she had gotten older, around her nineteens, when she had moved into her own house near the castle where she was having her special studies, her father had taken her into the attic and showed her a picture taken of Aniello and Maia at their wedding.

The brunette had clearly been surprised to see the picture showed no sign of aging or scratches and loss of colours. From what her father had told her, Aniello had decided to entrust a second copy of this photography to him, because he felt it would be a sign of their friendship. Flora remember how proud Rollos looked when he held this photography, because he was proud to have been the witness of his long friend and to have been present to his wedding the same way Aniello had been to his.

With a smile planted on his lips, Rollos had told her he hoped that if she got married to Helia, the two would offer him a similar picture. At this time, Flora had just shrugged and laughed. She had no idea about what future was planning, and the last thing she had thought of would be getting married to Helia, because the two were still young.

One year later, Colin had gotten married to Silicya. It was the first time Flora had seen her father cry of joy and happiness. He liked a lot Colin's wife, but Flora knew his tears were due to the pride of seeing his dear son moving with someone he loved. Flora recalled in every detail the pride on her father's eyes when it was her own turn to tell him about her engagement; and it was not the pride to know his son-in-law would turn to be the prince Flora had seen, but the pride to see his daughter getting married too.

From the moment she had become aware of what love really was, Rollos had kept repeating her that no mattered who her future husband would be, he would never mind and would be happy, as long as he made her happy.

And Flora was happy.

This day was _her_ big day. For once in her life, she had nothing else to think of. She did not care about her studies, about her past, about her future, about… anything, except Helia. This day was their day and _their_ day only.

This was something that Flora never thought she would have: _a future_. When she thought she had lost Helia forever, his promise of never leaving her was haunting her mind. And he had kept this promise: he had come back to her. Of course, all over this previous week, she had hard time to readjust to her life with Helia. She often had woken up during nights, looking next to her to make sure he was there, and had cuddled closer to him when she managed to distinguish his figure in the darkness.

And from now on, they would forever be together.

However, this ceremony was not only supposed to be a wedding. When Flora and Helia were to seal their union, Flora had to be crowned princess of Linfea. Thankfully, all throughout the week, Helia had helped her getting prepared for the ceremony. He brought her to the spot, where he told her exactly was she was supposed to do and say in which moment and on which places.

Instead of only inviting nobles and members of the Court to this celebration like the council suggested, Flora and Helia had decided that the whole people of Linfea had the right to come to their wedding if they wanted. Helia had delivered an announcement the day following his reunion with Flora, a week before; everybody had been cheering, applauding, and some ever whistled, but at this moment Flora barely heard them. Her eyes were too busy admiring Helia's figure standing next to her.

Flora did not know why, but the whole Winx Club had come to listen to the announcement in person instead of watching it on television; at the precise moment when she climbed off the stage, Stella and Layla had hugged her, congratulating her while Musa, Tecna and Bloom had begun cheering and whistling. Stella was completely thrilled about Flora's wedding, and had asked Flora who her bridesmaids were going to be. On Linfea, bridesmaids and witnesses had a very small role; they stood on the front row, in front of the couple, and were the one heading the party following the union. Since this was a royal wedding, Flora's bridesmaid would have to be starting the ball, and not the King and the Queen or the parents like in other realms. This was something Flora had completely forgotten to think about until that moment.

The following day, Flora had made her decision; the solution being crystal clear. She decided that her first bridesmaid would be Felicia, her childhood best friend, the friend thanks to whom she and Helia had gotten together in the first place, the one who never let her down and who had always understood her, no matter what.

Her second bridesmaid would be Layla, maybe her new friend, but certainly one of the closest she ever had. When she had no one to talk or turn to, Layla had always been here to listen. She had helped her with all her problems, she had taken huge risks by going with her to deliver Colin, she had visited her numerous times during her coma, and Flora could never thank her enough for everything she had did for her in such a short amount of time. Layla had become a very dear friend to her, and she deserved to be asked for this role of bridesmaid. But of course, all of the Winx Club would be invited to the wedding.

The two girls had accepted immediately and soon came to Flora's house so she could show them the outfits the precedent bridesmaids had worn, and, following the tradition, they had to wear too. However, when Stella learnt from Flora's new servant girl that the typical bridesmaid dresses were aged simple blue calf-length dresses, she had decided to improve them, turning them into green floor-length dresses with a rose and vines on the left shoulder, following the Linfean style tradition, adding a new symbol with the rose, symbol which was to become of the new royal couple's. This new dress suited her two friends way more than the previous ones.

Then, there was the main couple's wedding attires. The two had decided not to see each other's clothes before the ceremony; Flora liked this idea, but the following day, she realized she would not know if he liked her in that dress or not. That was why she had asked the Winx and Felicia to tell her how she looked like it. The girls reassured her, telling her she looked stunning and that Helia would faint when he would see her.

Her dress was a mid-sleeved one covered with pink roses, with a bigger one on her right shoulder. On the bottom, a very light purple ribbon was holding one of the numerous pink flowers, passing around her waist drawing a bow tie on her back. This dress suited Flora more than every dress she could have worn before. However, the girls argued on how her hair should be tied up. While Felicia, Musa and Layla, and even Tecna thought she would look better with a bun, Stella and Bloom argued this would make her look too serious and said a low braid would be better. ( **A/N: if this dress reminds you of** _ **Beauty and the Beast**_ **, it's because I took my inspiration there! It's such a wonderful dress!** )

In the end, Flora asked her new servant, Michelle, a fifty year old woman, for advices, on the morning of the day of the ceremony. After looking at her in every angle, she took care of it. She took both her blonde bangs and used her magic powers to dye them in the same chocolate colour than the rest of her hair, and lightly curled the whole of it, and tied her hair up into a half-up style, leaving two little strands falling from it, and placed a another rose above her ear.

"There you are, my Lady." Michelle said with a smile as she straightened the long wedding veil onto her head with a fake tiara with her tender gloved hands, a tiara which was to be replaced by another one later symbolizing her entrance into royal family of Linfea.

"I told you there's no need to call me "my Lady". Flora is fine." The brunette smiled. The 50 year old servant smiled back at her. Flora felt reassured with Michelle as her maid; she reminded her of her long lost aunt, a very nice and calm woman whom Flora often talked with when she was a child.

The King had decided that Michelle would shift from being Helia's personal servant to Flora's. When the two had first been introduced, Michelle had seemed anxious and scared, but when Flora and she had started talking, the tension had collapsed and Michelle had seemed glad. From what she had told Flora, she used to be the servant of Chimera, then Diaspro, and the two had made her live hell. When she had turned 45, she had been asked to be Helia's servant. She had freaked out, fearing she would be exploited by this Prince, but Helia had always acted nice and friendly with her, and Helia had grown to see her as a confident when he had problems. And now she was going to serve his wife, Flora, and this made her happy.

"I'm sorry, Flora. I'll have to get used to this." Michelle said.

"It's okay." Flora smiled even more brightly. She could not take off this smile at this moment, she was way too happy for this.

"I'm glad someone like you managed to be in our Prince's heart." Michelle said while lowering her head in respect. "I'm proud to have you as our Princess. You are what our country deserves."

"You're so nice, Michelle." Flora replied. "Thank you."

"No, it's sincere." The servant said. "After living under Diaspro and Chimera-"

"I'll make sure you'll never live this again."

"I know I will not." Michelle bowed. Someone soon knocked at the door, and Flora heard Stella's voice asking "do you think she's ready?", and Felicia's replying "we're early, she might not be".

"You can come in, girls." Flora called them. The six other girls entered the room, with Felicia and Layla entering first. Flora smiled brightly looking at them. "You look wonderful girls!"

"And what to say about you!" Musa exclaimed with a smile. "You look like a princess!"

"Well, she's soon going to be one." Tecna added. "Aren't you anxious about it?"

Flora shook her head and looked at her reflexion in the mirror. "When Helia proposed to me years ago, I already had time to mentally prepare myself for this."

"But getting married and becoming a princess on the same day, isn't it stressful?" Bloom asked.

Flora shook her head again, and this time, she added an ear to ear smile to the gesture. "Of course I'm a little nervous, but I'll be with Helia, so I'm not scared."

"Awww." Stella cheered. "It's so cute how much you love him!"

When Layla turned to scold her friend for this unfunny comment, Michelle bowed again after walking towards them. "I'm sorry, ladies, Flora needs to get prepared for her father to pick her."

The girls nodded and cheered once again Flora before heading for the ceremony hall located in the main entrance of the castle, leaving Flora with Michelle only.

* * *

Helia's grin grew wider as his bride-to-be came down the stairs, led by Rollos. Never had he seen such a splendid creature in his entire life. She was like an angel; her white dress was glowing and so did her hair, so much he wouldn't be surprised to catch a light aura behind her while not a single ray of sun could pass through the thick walls.

After Rollos kissed his daughter on the forehead and went into the front row of the wedding hall, Helia grabbed her right hand tenderly; he kissed his fingers without taking his eyes off her wonderful face.

"You're so beautiful, Love." Helia said. He realized the need to have her close to him was too strong, so he couldn't refrain anymore and held her in his arms.

"You're not so bad yourself." Flora whispered once she had placed her face on the crook of his neck. They were enjoying their last moment for themselves alone for the day, they both knew they wouldn't have a lot.

"How are you feeling?" He asked when she leant away. She took his hands in hers.

"Anxious." She admitted, but was still smiling. Helia kissed her fingers again.

"You don't have to worry, you know it." He leant back from her unwillingly and showed her his arm. "Are you ready?" Helia asked his beloved who took the arm he showed her. She inhaled the warm air deeply to cool down her anxiousness and nodded. He then started guiding her down the aisle.

Flora had never felt so many gazes on her. Her anxiousness did not allow her to realize how numerous the people on the crowd were. The look of her father and mother somehow calmed her a bit, but this was not enough for her heart to beat slower.

When she and her fiancé reached the priest, Aniello walked towards them and gave them their wedding rings. Helia was the one who started talking. He grabbed her hand, took off the engagement ring that had been trimming her middle finger for years, and replaced it with a golden, rose shaped one.

"I, Helia, Prince of Linfea, promise I will take care of you, love you, cherish you until the day I die. You are everything I have ever wanted, my only wish, my only one. From now on I will live for you, because I have been longing for you for too long and because I love you, Flora, my love."

Flora gulped the tears that climbed on her eyes; never had she been so touched by any of his speeches, by anything he had ever told her. She couldn't break at this moment; so she simply repeated his action and started talking at her turn.

"I, Flora, vow you my eternal love and affection. You are my reason to live, my only dream, the love of my life… and I promise to take care of you the same way you will take care of me, my darling."

The priest, who had remained silent all throughout the couple's speeches, took a step towards the two, whose stares did not leave the other, and cleared his throat.

"By the law invested in me, I declare you Prince Helia and Flora from the most dignified family of Linfea" The priest took their rights hands and gave them to each other "husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride."

Helia did not wait any second more and did what he had wished to do for hours by sealing his lips with hers. He tried to keep this kiss as innocent as he could, even though the taste of her honey-tasting lips made it difficult, while the crowd started bursting into cheers and whistles.

* * *

Helia guided her all over the red carpet under their feet towards the other aisle holding her hand up. When they reached it, under the bows of the people of Linfea, Flora knelt in front of Helia on both her knees.

Helia took off the veil from her head slowly and gave it to one of the bodyguards next to him, making sure he did not waste her beautiful hairstyle. One of the council members dressed in a tux and wearing white gloves went forwards Helia, holding out a red cashmere pillow where was placed a silver tiara trimmed with a blue diamond on the middle. Helia took it with both his hands and turned to his wife again.

"Now, by alliance, I declare you, Flora, my love," Helia lowered the golden tiara and placed it delicately on his beloved's head "Princess of Linfea."

"Hurrah for Princess Flora!" They both recognize Stella's voice cheering when the brunette stood up with Helia's help. Both giggled, but then turned back to seriousness when the rest of the crowd followed the blonde princess's calls.

"Hurrah for Princess Flora! Hurrah for Princess Flora! Hurrah for Princess Flora!"

The latter felt her cheeks heat up, but she did not feel ashamed. Never would she have thought the people would have acclaimed her this way when the tiara would have been placed on the top of her head.

But this would never stop her from being happy.

* * *

"So now, my friends," Aniello started as he lifted his cup of vine up in the air "let's celebrate this day!"

"Let's celebrate," Maia went on, repeating the action of her husband "the wedding of our son and the arrival of a perfect princess for our kingdom!"

"Cheers!"

"Musa, why don't you sing something?" Flora asked her blue-haired friend with a gentle smile. The fairy of music blushed. "R-really?"

"It's okay if you don't want!" Flora felt the urge to explain herself. "I mean, you've got such a great voice, and I'd be honoured if you sang today."

Musa stood up. "Of course I'll sing! But," She grabbed Riven's, her boyfriend, hand and pulled him up "Riven has to sing with me!"

"W-What?" The magenta-haired specialist exclaimed, but did not have time to fight back as his girlfriend drew him to the small stage next to a bunch of violinists as the two began singing.

 _I'll swim and sail on savage seas  
With never a fear of drowning  
And gladly ride the waves of life  
If you would marry me_

Flora closed her eyes for a few moments, listening to the soft melody of Musa's voice. The fairy's singing voice was the softest voice she had ever heard in her entire life, and Flora instantly felt relaxed in this filled with emotion day.

 _No scorching sun nor freezing cold  
Will stop me (on my journey, sorry!)  
If you will promise me your heart_

Out of nowhere, a smile crossed Flora's face when she stared at her husband. They had been through so much, and yet, they were finally married; something she never thought would happen to her. They had been through doubts, loss, another loss, despair, loose of hope, and they finally were together.

 _And love  
And love me for eternity  
My dearest one, my darling dear  
Your mighty words astound me  
But I've no need for mighty deeds  
When I feel your arms around me_

Flora noticed her husband's hand was not on the table, but under it, placed on his tight. She suddenly realized how much she needed his touch. She took the opportunity of discretion and squeezed it tightly between her small fingers, earning a smile from him in return, as he moved his fingers in between hers.

The two kept staring in each other's eyes tenderly for minutes, not caring about what could be surrounding them or what people could say about this. They just needed this, to feel they were finally together, and that they would be forever.

 _But I would bring you rings of gold  
I'd even sing you poetry (oh, would you?)  
And I would keep you from all harm  
If you would stay beside me_

Aniello clicked his fingers at the violinists with a smile, signalling them they had to start playing. The melody reminded a lot a movie Bloom had shown the girls at Alfea once, a movie concerning a King on Earth, living on a castle on a city apparently called _Versailles_. Even though the King did not seem to be a great one, the movie had fascinated Flora, and she was glad the music that the violinists were playing in front of her and the one from the movie were similar.

Flora turned her head to her two bridesmaids, Layla and Felicia, who stood up and bowed as they walked towards the glass floor, where they were supposed to open the ball with a waltz along with their partners. After she watched Felicia walking with a boy Flora had never seen before, the brunette smiled when she noticed Layla had invited Nex to dance. The two were staring at each other with ear-to-ear grins, and this made Flora feel happier –which she would never have thought as possible-. She was overjoyed to see her friend had managed to find some happiness back, the happiness she deserved. After a few minutes, Helia took up his thick elegant white jacket and stayed in a white buttoned up shirt, stood up and showed his hand to his wife, inviting her for a waltz. She took his hand gladly, stood up, and followed him on the tiling dance floor representing a white lily flower, the symbol of the planet and of their Queen.

Other couples followed their lead and joined them for dance.

 _I have no use for rings of gold  
I care not for your poetry  
I only want your hand to hold_

 _I only want you near me_

"How are you doing so far, wife?" Helia asked his new wife, making her twirl on the dance floor of the ballroom under the sound of violins and the soft voices of Musa and her Riven singing.

"I'm doing great, husband." Flora exclaimed, coming closer to Helia who wrapped one of his arms around her waist. Her dress was floating around her when she spun round, and Helia was sure that from above, she would look like a goddess flying on a soft cloud.

"Did I tell you how beautiful you were?" He asked, and Flora gave him a satisfied smile.

"Almost ten times, but you can say tell me again." He lowered his head until his mouth was parted from a few inches from her ear.

"You are the most wonderful creature that has ever existed in the universe."

 _To love and kiss to sweetly hold  
For the dancing and the dreaming  
Through all life's sorrows  
And delights  
_

"Now you're mine." Helia whispered with a smirk planted on his lips. "You're mine forever. You cannot escape me."

"I've always been yours." Flora replied as she placed her hand on his shoulder, positioning herself for the next step of the waltz. Her hand went on the back of his neck as she pressed his forehead against hers. "I never had a chance to escape you from the moment we met."

Helia kissed her cheek tenderly, and moved his lips to collide with hers. He knew this was not professional, and certainly not adapted for a royal ball, but what they looked like for the public was the last thing he could care about. Now he was married to the love of his life, his reason to live, and he could not care less about the rest. He wanted to show her how happy he was with her, and he longed for the whole universe to understand it.

 _I'll keep your laugh inside me  
I'll swim and sail a savage seas  
With never a fear of drowning  
I'd gladly ride the waves so white_

"How do you feel now, Love?" Helia whispered to his wife as she delicately placed her wedding gown onto a precious cupboard on their new room. Flora smiled and sat next to him on the bed.

"I don't know if it would be possible to be as happy as I am now." She kissed his cheek tenderly and placed her head on his bare shoulder. The two were exhausted because of the ceremony and the ball, but they both knew it had been worth it, because they now were together.

"It is," Helia replied "Since I am too."

Seeing his love's grin, he lowered his head and sealed once again their lips while intertwining their right hand fingers, enjoying his first moments alone with his wife.

He did not want to think about the past anymore.

He wanted to think only about the future, the future he was to share with the love of his life, who had started as his best friend and who, as time went by, had turned to his girlfriend, his fiancée, and now his wife.

And all of this was a pure bliss for the two of them.

Flora intertwined her fingers with his hair, deepening the kiss. She still had hard time believing it; believing that she had a right for a future with the man she loved more than everything.

She was his everything.

He was her red rose.

 _And you will marry me_

* * *

 **I really hope you liked this chapter! I'm not used to write about weddings, but here, I couldn't restrain myself!  
**

 **Like I said at the beggining, it's not my habit, but I'll ask for reviews this time; because I'd love to read your opinion about this chapter! We are getting closer to the end, so, be ready for the last chapter! I think it will come soon, so I can start publishing the sequel that I will call _Amaranth._ I will give you the full plot there. **

**See you on the next chapter!**


	19. Chapter 19

**Oh my god, here we are: the final chapter of Her Red Rose! I know, this is a very short epilogue, but this is only a transition for the sequel, which, I remind you, will be called _Amaranth_! And this time, the whole summary will be a the end of this chapter!**

 _ **Winxkate**_ **: Actually, I think she would look better in the 1991 yellow dress than in the 2017; but the white dress is simply amazing! Thanks a lot for your review, it is just so sweet! I'll try to continue His Beyond Reach (I saw the 2017 BATB after posting the chapter, and it might change what I wanted to do with the story), and maybe I'll continue For her Freedom, but I'm not sure about this one.**

 _ **Flora**_ **: Thanks for your sweet review! Don't worry, children won't be here, because it will be an issue for the sequel!  
**

 _ **Lover of romance246**_ **: It was written at the beggining of chapter 18, it is _For the dancing and dreaming_ from _How to train your dragon 2_  
**

 _ **Guest**_ **: Thanks! Well, their family is going to be an issue in _Amaranth_ , so they won't have one here. Well, you'll see in the future chapters!**

 _ **Maeve111999**_ **: Thanks a lot, I'm glad you liked the wedding!  
**

 **CHAPTER 19 - EPILOGUE**

 _ **Two years later**_

"Do you remember what day is it?" Helia asked Flora with a smile, as the two were facing each other on the bed. Flora returned his grin and kissed the edge of his lips.

"How could I forget our anniversary?" She whispered. Helia grabbed the back of her neck and brought her lips to his in a proper kiss.

Never had two years passed so quickly. Their relationship had remained the same; with two people loving each other deeply and on a life-depending level. The only change was Flora's new membership of the royal life. The brunette had a hard time adjusting to this new life, but thankfully, Helia was always with her when they had to face capital decisions, parties or royal dinners; and she had never felt so lucky.

"I couldn't either." Helia replied, tracing her lips with his thumb. Flora smiled and leant down to kiss him again, but was interrupted by a knock at the door. The two groaned and sat down on the bed to welcome the intruder with more presence. "Come in."

Michelle, who had been Flora's servant for two years, entered the room and bowed politely. "Sorry to interrupt you, sir, my lady. The King is asking for his son on the living room."

Helia sighed and stood up. "When do they want to see me?"

"Now." Michelle answered before leaving the room. Helia sighed again, making Flora laugh. She stood up and held his waist from behind.

"You look so keen." She sarcastically whispered on his ear. He turned around and wrapped his arms around her.

"Right now, I'd love to spend my anniversary alone with my wife, but apparently this won't be possible."

"But they won't keep you the whole day." She whispered again. "We'll have the whole afternoon and evening for ourselves."

"You're right." Helia replied, giving her a short kiss on the lips; too short for Flora, having him smirking at her pouting figure. "Don't worry, this is just a sample of what is awaiting you."

* * *

"Hello mom, dad." Helia greeted as he entered the living room of his family. His parents had already sat on the red velvet armchairs, drinking their morning tea, as usual.

"Good morning, son." Aniello replied, showing him a chair. "Why don't you sit with us? We need to talk."

"Sure." He did as he was told and sat in front of his parents. "What do you want from me so early in the morning?"

"Well," Aniello started, rubbing his hands together in nervousness, "We know you won't like what we are going to tell you, but… it's necessary."

* * *

"WHAT?!" Helia yelled, standing up in one jump. "What do you mean by "crown you King and Queen next week"?"

"Calm down, honey." Maia whispered, signaling him to sit down again with her hands. He did not oblige. "We know it's early, but we told you, it's necessary."

"But mom, remember Flora had nothing to do with royal life before!" Helia exclaimed. "Let her time to adjust her life as princess before turning her into a Queen!"

Aniello sighed. "Listen, son. We are getting old-"

"You're not so old!" Helia cut him off by replying bitterly; something he would never do to his parents. But they both knew he wouldn't accept easily.

"We know, sweetie." Maia said. "But we'd rather see you two as rulers with the both of us here to coach you, than see you getting the throne when you'll turn 60 without anyone to help you."

"B-but…" Helia tried to think about another argument, but he realized he could not find any and sat down again, sighing heavily.

He realized he agreed with his mother. But were they ready for this?

And what about Flora?

* * *

"No, Layla, you shouldn't be that anxious." Flora said with her phone stuck next to her ear while she tried her best to tie her hair on a low braid. She was talking with the Andros princess, who had turned from being a close friend to her second best friend during these two years.

" _No, you're right, I shouldn't be anxious when I learn I'll become Queen next year!_ " Layla almost yelled. Flora couldn't blame her for her voice tone; she had every right to be nervous. After all, she would feel the same if it was to happen to her…

"Layla, I understand how you feel. But remember you are a great princess; and you will be a wonderful Queen."

" _But I feel like I know nothing about the kingdom!_ " Layla exclaimed. " _I never felt so alone before!_ "

A smirk began to appear on the brunette's face; she knew exactly what to say at this moment to cheer her up.

"But you have Nex, don't you?"

Then, there was a short silence. Flora tried her best to keep her giggle silent, but this turned to be very hard. During these two years, Nex and Layla's relationship had become a way more intimate one than Layla would ever have expected. Previously living on Solaria, Nex had moved to Andros to live closer to his girlfriend, abandoning his new position as Solarian royal guard. Layla felt at the same time overjoyed and embarrassed; of course she was happy to have her boyfriend living on her planet, but at the same time, seeing him abandon everything for her was… "awkward", from what the princess said. Flora understood came from her past; about the man she was about to marry. She knew Nabu had died years before, and that Layla did not really manage to move on with her life. Flora was well aware of what feeling this was; and she was well aware of how lucky she was, since Helia had come back into her life. But during that year, both girls had felt the same feeling… Until Stella and Layla made a bet. ( **A/N: go and see chapter 5** )

From that day, Nex and Layla had started dating, and Flora had quickly noticed a change on her friend's face. She had become more smiling, happier, until this day when Nex abandoned his planet for her. Layla could not put words on why she felt awkward, but Flora understood it was because she did not remember how it felt to be in love after losing the man who was her fiancé. She had managed to move on; and this was why she had felt like this. But at this moment; she had erased every form of awkwardness on her feelings and had finally accepted she had fallen in love again.

" _Y-Yeah, I guess…_ " Layla stuttered, and Flora would bet she was blushing.

"Have you seen him lately?"

" _We have a date today…"_ The Andros princess answered. " _Listen, I-I forgot about it and I have to get prepared!_ "

Flora laughed heartily. "Glad to learn I helped you."

" _Yeah, yeah, you can laugh_!" Layla playfully scolded her. " _Thanks for listening Flo', see you soon_!"

"See you soon, Layls. Have fun." Flora replied with a smile planted on the lips before hanging up. She grabbed an elastic band which was on her night table and finally managed to tie her hair up. Then, she heard the door open, and her husband entered the room.

Flora couldn't help smiling each time she used this word, _husband_. She was married; she had been married for two years now, and to the man she loved more than everything. No matter how much time could pass; she would still feel she was daily dreaming.

But she was not dreaming.

Flora dropped her phone on her night table and hugged her husband. "Finally back, I see. About time." She placed her chin on his shoulder. "We'll finally have time to celebrate our anniversary."

Surprisingly, Helia did not laugh nor give her even a hint of a smile. He just sighed, leant back, took her hands in his and invited her to sit next to him on the bed.

"What's wrong?" Flora asked, a slight feeling of nervousness climbing all over her body. She felt like her stomach had turned into a knot. Helia soon noticed this when he took a look at her distorting face.

"It's not about us, don't worry!" He exclaimed, but soon said otherwise. He had a very hard time finding the right words to say; and he knew what he had to tell her was something she would have difficulties to swallow. "Well… yes it is, kind of. It's just not about our relationship."

"Then, what is it?" Flora insisted and placed her hand on his shoulder.

"D-do you remember?" he started, and gulped with the hope this would give him courage to continue "This morning, my parents wanted to talk to me."

Flora nodded. Helia gulped and tried to drop the bomb; but did not immediately manage to do so. He just took her hand off his shoulder and held it tenderly between his fingertips.

"You know I love you more than everything, right?" Helia asked. Flora raised her eyebrows; she understood nothing of what he wanted to say. She did not reply, but Helia continued.

"They… they told me they wanted us to be crowned King and Queen as soon as possible."

Flora received this sentence as a huge slap on her face. She remained frozen for a few moments, and she could not manage to form a full sentence. Some scraps of words exited her mouth, like:

"W-when?"

Helia sighed when he realized that he had not imagined she would feel so shocked; and he began to fear. Was she mad at them? Was she mad at… him?

"Next week."

Flora never felt like fainting so much; she felt dizzy, she felt her heart was beating so fast it might explode; she felt breathless as if she had just ran kilometers without drinking a drop of water. Helia sighed, and let go of her hand.

"I'm sorry, Love. I tried to convince them, but-"

"W-Why," Helia let her time to gulp and breathe again before talking, so she could finish her sentence. "Why now? I-I we're, we're still young a-and-"

"I know, Love." Helia replied with a sigh. "I know. But they told me they preferred now, because… they wanted to be with us."

"B-but…" Flora tried to find a counter-argument; but she could not find anything against this. Anyway, was she really able to endure something like this? Was she going to be a good ruler?

"I-I'm not ready to be Queen!"

"Love." Helia took her shoulders in his hands to bring her closer. He held her against his chest tenderly, running his fingers throughout her long caramel hair, untying the braid she had trouble tying up. "You are not going to be alone." He placed his lips on the top of her head. "My parents will be there; _I_ will be there."

Flora leant back and couldn't bring herself to look at him in the eyes; this was why Helia cupped her face in his hands and lifted her face up. "I will never leave you; remember?"

The brunette grabbed his hands and took them off her face, but did not let them go and just held them tighter. "I know."

"I'm aware of how difficult it will be for you, Love." Helia whispered.

"And I know it will hard for you too." Flora replied with the same tone. "Are you sure we will be able to handle this?"

"We will." Helia kissed her forehead tenderly and finally gave her a smile. "Because we will be together."

And Flora finally smiled in return; cupping his face in her hands. "You are right. It will be okay."

Helia leant towards his wife and kissed her lips with tenderness. She wrapped her arms around his neck and he did the same around her waist, while the two kept kissing each other for what seemed hours for the others, but seconds to them; unable to break their lip lock.

Helia was right; everything was going to be okay. She did not have to fear.

With Helia by her side, she had nothing to fear.

* * *

 _ **Flora and Helia are now ruling the kingdom of Linfea as King and Queen. As everything seems to go fine the first years, the couple suddenly has to face three problems: the arrival of Veronica's daughter in the court, the surprising rebellion in Andros**_ _ **during Layla and Nex's wedding, and the difficulty of conceiving an heir.**_

* * *

 **Oh my god... Her red rose is over! I can't believe if... *cries a little*. I hope you liked Her Red Rose, and I'd like to thank all my faithful readers! Since there will be a sequel, you don't have to worry, Flora and Helia's story is not over at all!**

 **I hope you liked the summary of the sequel! I know some of you are not fond of Nex and Layla, actually I love Nabu way more than Nex, but I think Nex never received the treatment he deserved. Nabu will of course be mentionned in the sequel, but I'm sorry, he will not come back.**

 **I will try to post the sequel towards the end of the week. See you in the sequel!**


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